


By Mere Happenstance

by one_starry_night



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chance Meeting, College seniors, Eventual Sex, F/M, Falling In Love, First Time, Imagine your OTP, Ireland, Jughead is more romantic that Betty (almost), Kissing, L'amour, Loss of Virginity, Make-outs, MoMA, New York City, OTP Feels, Romance, Romantic love scenes, Scotland, Slow Burn, Sweet, These two know everything about each other, Travel, romantic "first time" with tasteful smut, scenic views, slow-build, the ultimate slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 18:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 71,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11041800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_starry_night/pseuds/one_starry_night
Summary: Summary: In this AU, Betty and Jughead attend the same University in New York City. They have been talking online for 6.5 months and only know each other by their usernames - "FP3" and "BlueBird21"; however, they have never met in real life. But what happens when they finally decide to meet in real life? Read and find out. You'll be pleasantly surprised. :)As an aside, don't be too put off by the instant messaging/chat dialogue. That only accounts for roughly 20% of the fic. As you'll soon discover, it's a necessary part of the story-line. Give it a chance.Author's Personal Note: This story is very special to me.Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Riverdale TV or Archie Comics, Inc. The following story is just for fun and not for profit. The character's from Riverdale are the intellectual property of Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, who owns all the rights and privileges therein.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: it-happened-one-starry-night

___

Jughead Jones settled in for the night, leaving his keys and beanie on the table. He pulled up a chair to his desk to log onto his University’s Linkconnect, the school’s social networking site that allowed people to chat with other students about school related activities or other interests. Enjoying the anonymity that the site provided, Jughead logged on to see if his favorite user was online.

 

FP3: Hey! Are are you up?

 

BlueBird21: Hey, yeah. Glad you’re on here now. I need someone to talk to. I just had a really bad night. :(

 

FP3: Yikes. I thought you were supposed to go on a date with that guy you liked?

 

BlueBird21: I did…that’s what I’m referring to. :(

 

FP3: Oh no. What happened?

 

BlueBird21: :(

 

FP3: Are you okay? I won’t pressure you to tell me anything, but if you need to talk, I’m here.

 

BlueBird21: We went back to his apartment to hang out. He started groping me and tried to pressure me into doing more. I honestly just went over there to hang out. I assumed we’d kiss, but idk, I guess he wanted more.

 

FP3: Wait, what? I thought the couple of dates you had with him went really well?

 

BlueBird21: They did. He was a perfect gentleman. Unless, you know, he thought the third date meant that he would “get lucky” or something? Back at his place, his demeanor totally changed.

 

FP3: I don’t understand that “third date” rule.

 

BlueBird21: Me neither. So, if I go on three dates with you, you’re entitled to sex? Uh, that’s kind of personal.

 

FP3: Well, you shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.

 

BlueBird21: :-(

 

FP3: Sorry. We can change the subject. I know that you really liked him.

 

BlueBird21: Well…I did. But can I be totally transparent here?

 

FP3: Shoot.

 

BlueBird21: I thought he was good-looking, but I don’t think we really had anything in common. Plus, during our date I never got to really mention any of my interests or hobbies. Wouldn’t you at least ask the other person, idk, something about themselves?

 

FP3: I would. And I would totally date you, internet BFF! Lol.

 

BlueBird21: Haha. Yeah, you too. Speaking of dates, did you ever talk to that girl you like so much?

 

FP3: No, I don’t think she knows I exist. Lol.

 

Jughead thought about his crush on the girl in his University writing class. From what he had gathered, her name was Betty. She had light blond hair that she always wore in a tight pony tail. She had green eyes and wore the color blue often. She always brought a planner with her, which had about a hundred tabs in it. She had the appearance of being very organized and put together. Otherwise, that was about all he knew about her. They had never exchanged a word. And why would she notice him anyways? There were at least a hundred other students that attended the same lecture in that same classroom three times a week. For now, he just admired her from afar. And there was a lot to admire. Physically, she was beautiful.

 

BlueBird21: Well, if you’re as clever in person as you are on here, I’m sure she would be into you!

 

FP3: Thanks!

 

BlueBird21: Anytime. How long have we been talking on here, anyways?

 

FP3: 6.5 months.

 

BlueBird21: You kept track.

 

FP3: I did. You’re my favorite person to talk to. We spend hours on here chatting, anyways.

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, we kind of…do. About earlier…he tried to get me to have sex with him. Of course I said no. He pushed me down and tried to kiss me. I told him to stop.

 

FP3: Sorry.

 

BlueBird21: It’s just that, I don’t know, I’ve never HAD sex before and I would kind of like the first person that I do that with to be someone that I have a real connection with, you know? I kind of want them to be around for the long haul.

 

FP3: I get you. As you know, I’ve never had sex either, but I would never pressure a girl into it. That’s awful, BB. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.

 

BlueBird21: Thanks FP. I’m still upset about it. I was shaking earlier.

 

FP3: Oh no. Are you okay now?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, I will be. Talking to you always makes me feel better. Say, are we ever going to meet in person?

 

FP3: I don’t know. What if I’m not what you expected?

 

BlueBird21: And what should I be expecting? Lol. What if I’m not who you expect?

 

FP3: Idk, do you care?

 

BlueBird21: Nah. Not really. I already feel like we know each other pretty well.

 

FP3: True. We have a lot in common.

 

BlueBird21: Well, I’m going to sleep. Talk tomorrow? :)

 

FP3: For sure. Night Juliet. :)

 

BlueBird21: Lol. Night Romeo. :P

 

Jughead Jones leaned back from his laptop, placing his hands behind his head. He was grinning. He knew they would probably never meet, but it was nice to have someone to shoot the breeze with. For the most part, he considered himself a loner anyways. It didn’t really matter. He lived through WIFI mostly, writing stories on his laptop and reading books online. Jughead Jones turned off his computer and clicked the lights off. As he went into his bedroom, he pulled his shirt off. After lying in bed for a few minutes, he dozed off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please comment. Thanks for reading.

Jughead Jones woke up early on Saturday morning. Before showering, he brewed a pot of coffee and left it to cool down as he got ready for the day. When he stepped out of the shower, he quickly towel dried his hair and walked into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. Carrying the mug in his left hand, Jughead sat it down next to his laptop and began typing.

 

FP3: Hey! Feeling better since yesterday?

 

BlueBird21: No. Still feeling kind of meh. I was wondering when you were going to be on here, tbh. I’ve been up for hours. I couldn’t sleep. I’m still thinking about him coming onto me like that.

 

FP3: Sorry.

 

BlueBird: Me too. I’d like to date, but not if the guys are going to be like this. I also like having low-key dates, too. I don’t always need everything to have frills. Although, that’s kind of nice with the right person.

 

FP3: So, Netflix and chill? No lavish dates for you, Juliet?

 

BlueBird21: Hahahahah. You always make me laugh. Netflix and chill. Isn’t that code for the guy wants to make out with you during the movie?

 

FP3: I wouldn’t know. I only ever Netflix and chill with myself. :P

 

BlueBird21: OMG. Hahaha. :)

 

FP3: So, what kind of dates do girls dig now anyways?

 

BlueBird21: I prefer something sweet and romantic. Doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be lowkey if it’s done right.

 

FP3: Such as?

 

BlueBird21: Movie dates, walking around the park, coffee dates. I do love staying in for a good movie though, as long as there’s hot tea and something to snack on.

 

FP3: Yeah, that’s more my scene. But I’m kind of an introvert.

 

BlueBird21: But you say so much on here. You tell me all kinds of things about yourself. Lol.

 

FP3: Yeah, but it’s the internet. Although, you’ll be proud of me. I did stop trolling on here a few years ago.

 

BlueBird21: Wow.

 

FP3: Yeah yeah. Hey, I know. Let’s talk about all books that they force us to read at school!

 

BlueBird21: And how you and I have already read them all? You nerd, lol. Haven’t we had a similar conversation before?

 

FP3: Yeah, and how they never pick the author’s best work to discuss in class?

 

BlueBird21: Lol. Speaking of which, in my Victorian Literature class they are forcing us to read _Bleak House_.

 

FP3: I told you not to take that class, BB. And anyways, I know everyone thinks that story is great, but I don’t feel like it’s Dicken’s best work, you know?

 

BlueBird21: Agreed. And yeah, you warned me. I love Victorian Lit, but it’s been soooo overdone, even on TV now. How many different actors have they had play Sherlock Holmes now?

 

FP3: Too many. But Basil Rathbone was by far my favorite portrayal of Holmes. I don’t buy Benjamin Cumberbatch as him. Don’t tell anyone…

 

BlueBird21: Lol, and who would I tell?

 

FP3: Good point. Hey, I have to go to work, but I’ll be back on here tonight if you want to chat. Hope your day gets better.

 

BlueBird21: You’re really sweet. Thank you. And yeah, it kind of just helps to have a distraction right now with everything going on with my family and you know…with what happened last night.

 

FP3: I am that distraction then? :)

 

BlueBird21: Oh totally. Your still my internet BFF, right? :)

 

FP3: Always, Juliet. I’ll talk to you later, okay?

 

BlueBird21: I’ll be waiting. I’m going to get coffee and study most of today anyways. How boring.

 

FP3: At least you don’t have work right now. *rolls eyes*

 

BlueBird21: True. Sorry, that sucks.

 

FP3: TTYL. Bye!

 

BlueBird21: Bye. XX

 

Jughead Jones closed his laptop and swallowed half of his coffee in one gulp. He locked the door behind him, heading to work.

…

“Hey Dilton. Has it been slow today?”

 

“Surprisingly no. I guess everyone decided it was the perfect day to study inside from the looks of things. Oh, and the weather looks like it’s about to get bad. It’s supposed to storm later tonight.”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “Oh great, I hope not. My internet always gets spotty when that happens.”

 

“Same. It’s annoying as hell.”

 

“What do you want me to do right now?”

 

“Well, I already brewed a fresh pot of the house roast. You could brew another batch of coffee or straighten the place up.”

 

“Cool, thanks.”

 

Jughead placed a few books back onto the shelves and went behind the counter to start another pot of coffee. About thirty minutes later, Jughead’s back was turned while Dilton was checking a customer out at the front counter. When Jughead turned around, he noticed that the girl from his class, Betty, had walked in and set her stuff down at the table by the window.

 

“Hey Jughead, isn’t _that_ the girl you have a crush on from class?”

 

“Shut-up, Dilton.”

 

“Dude, just go talk to her. She seems friendly.”

 

“I can’t. Please Dilton, don’t make me take her order.”

 

Dilton laughed, “Fine, but you are so cleaning the equipment later. That stuff is a hassle and a half, man.”

 

Jughead gritted his teeth, “ _Fine_.”

 

Betty approached the counter and smiled at Dilton, “Hi. I’ll just have an iced coffee today.”

 

Dilton grinned at her, yelling a little louder than normal, “One ICED COFFEE for the lady.”

 

Betty giggled, handing Dilton a five, “Thank you!”

 

Jughead stayed behind the counter for a little while as Betty took her seat. He couldn’t help but stare as the blue light from her computer streamed onto her face and hair. “She’s so pretty,” Jughead thought to himself.

 

After about two hours, Betty packed her bags and got up to leave. As she was leaving the coffee shop, she turned and waived at Dilton, “Have a good one.” The bell on the door rang as she walked out.

 

Dilton grinned while Jughead was still hiding behind the counter. Relieved, Jughead let out a loud sigh.

 

Dilton laughed, “Wow, you really have a crush on her, man. If you hadn’t been such a massive wimp, that wave and smile she just gave me could have been yours, dude.”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “Please, Dilton. Girls like her don’t run in the same circles as guys like me. She doesn’t even know I exist.”

 

“And how is she ever going to if you keep hiding behind the counter like that Jughead?”

 

Jughead chuckled, “Shut-up, man.”

 

Dilton laughed.

…

Later that night, Jughead logged onto his laptop.

 

FP3: Annnd I’m back.

 

BlueBird21: Yay. Someone to distract me from my homework. How was work?

 

FP3: It was the same as usual…except…the girl I have a crush on was there. :/

 

BlueBird21: OMG. Did you talk to her?! :O

 

FP3: No…I pretended to be busy in the back.

 

BlueBird21: Aww. Why? You should at least introduce yourself.

 

FP3: I don’t know, I haven’t really dated as you know.

 

BlueBird21: So? You could try to be her friend.

 

FP3: I guess, but she’s really pretty.

 

BlueBird21: And pretty people can’t have friends?

 

FP3: Okay, smartass.

 

BlueBird21: Haha. That I am. Well, since you and I ARE in the same writing class, care to share what you are writing about?

 

FP3: Honestly? I haven’t started the assignment.

 

BlueBird21: Because you were too busy with your own writing – am I right?! :)

 

FP3: You know me well. Creepy. Lol. :P

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, me too. I’m planning on writing some more in my journal tonight.

 

FP3: My laptop IS my journal. Lol.

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, but there is something nice about curling up in bed with a notebook and pen.

 

FP3: Did you steal that out of a Nicholas Sparks novel, BB?

 

BlueBird21: I’m serious. I find it strangely therapeutic. And as you know, I like to put on quiet music in the background.

 

FP3: Rufus Wainwright again? ;)

 

BlueBird21: Yes…too bad he plays for the other team…his music is like an orgasm to my ears.

 

FP3: You did not just type that.

 

BlueBird21: Yes, I did. And besides, you know I’m a virgin. I just found it the best way to describe his music. The fact that you even know what I’m listening to means we spend wayyy too much time on here talking.

 

FP3: Kidding. I guess the word works…with the right music. And I don’t mind it, do you?

 

BlueBird21: No, not at all. The truth is, I’m lonely a lot.

 

FP3: I know the feeling. Hey, I have to go and actually do that assignment now. Can we talk later, BB?

 

BlueBird21: Of course, internet bestie.

FP3: Until then, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: Until then, Romeo. XX

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please comment. :)

3.

On Monday, Jughead was sitting in his writing class as students were filing in their seats. As always, he was sitting in the back to avoid being anywhere near the front row; however, about three rows down, Betty Cooper was sitting in a seat with her friend, Veronica. Jughead was watching the two of them chat as he checked his email.

 

“There is a serious lack of male hotties in this class, Betty.”

 

“Oh please, I’ve sworn off dating.”

 

“Have you and him talked since _that_ happened?”

 

“No, and we aren’t going to talk about it, Veronica. He was a jerk to me and tried to pressure me to… _you know_.”

 

Betty ended the conversation abruptly. She pulled out her spiral and was looking over some notes as Veronica scanned the room. Her eyes lingered to the left side and then moved to the back where she spotted Jughead sitting with Dilton. Veronica Lodge gave Jughead a glance, noting that he looked promising. Jughead was so engrossed in his email that he was unaware of the fact that Veronica had thrown a glance his way.

 

“Hey, Betty.”

 

“Huh, what?” Betty wasn’t paying attention.

 

“Don’t be so soon to swear off the guys in this class, B.”

 

“What? Sorry, Veronica. I was looking over something.”

 

As the teacher walked into the room, the shuffling ceased as the class started listening to her.

 

“Alright everyone. Today, we are going to pair up in small groups and discuss your papers. Hopefully, all of you brought multiple copies of your assignment to class.”

 

Jughead clenched his knees together behind his laptop. He hated groupwork.

 

“Alright, we will be working in groups based on the rows you are sitting in, “You four, here. Okay. Next.”

 

In horror, Jughead watched at the teacher motioned for his row to work together in a group. He gulped. Now he would have to talk to her. The groups started to congregate around each other.

 

“See ya later, Jughead.” Dilton got up from his seat and moved a few rows down.

 

Jughead paused for a moment and slowly inched his way down towards Betty and Ethyl, who he knew from another class. He didn’t know the other male student joining them, but the guy looked like he had already checked out from the lecture.

 

“Great,” Jughead thought.

 

“Hey Jughead,” Ethyl smiled as he sat next to her.

 

“Hey.” Jughead kept his eyes to his papers.

 

“So, I guess we should exchange papers?” Betty said.

 

Ethyl nodded, she focused her attention on lackadaisical guy in the fraternity clothes sitting nearest to her, “Here.”

 

Jughead froze as Betty turned to him, “Hi.” She grinned and looked up at him, their eyes meeting for a brief second.

 

Maybe she just smiles at everyone like that, Jughead thought to himself.

 

As they swapped papers, Betty and Jughead began to look over each other’s work. After about 15 minutes, Betty looked up at Jughead, “ _So_ ,” she said quietly.

 

“Um…do you want to start?” Jughead sounded more nervous than he expected.

 

Betty laughed, “Not really. I kind of _hate_ groupwork.”

 

“Me too, “Jughead managed to smile, “Um, your essay was just…amazing.” Jughead worried if his voice sounded too eager just then.

 

And it was amazing. Jughead was worried that his stupid crush on Betty was getting out of hand now. Not only was she pretty, but she could actually write, too. Her paper was not only insightful, it was completely original.

 

“I’ve never heard anyone write something dark having to do with…flowers,” he told her.

 

“I liked your paper, too. You must work in a customer service job, huh? You had some pretty keen observations about people in here.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Jughead said quietly as he smiled at her.

 

Soon the professor told everyone to return to their seats. Betty turned around to listen as Veronica made her way back to her desk. She looked directly at Jughead, who was still staring at Betty. Veronica grinned at him and took her seat. Jughead returned to the back of the room.

 

“Betty.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“That guy that you were just doing group work with…”

 

“ _Shut-up, Veronica_.”

 

“Oh, so you noticed, too?”

 

“Well, he does have _really_ blue eyes. But, you know V, I’m not exactly looking to date anyone right now. Not after getting _groped_ this past weekend.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t have a crush on that internet what’s his face you’ve been talking to all year long, B?”

 

Betty turned red, “No, I mean. We’ve never even met in person.”

 

“But you spend all your freaking time IM’ing him, Betty.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” Betty smiled. It was true. As weird as it was, FP3 was kind of like her virtual best friend. She told him a lot of things that she didn’t share with Veronica or anyone else.

 

“So, just meet the dude already.”

 

“I can’t do that.”

 

“And why the hell not?”  


“What if I’m not what he’s expecting?”

 

“You’re just afraid, Betty.”

 

“I am not.”

 

As the class ended, Betty grabbed her bookbag and left the classroom. Jughead stared after her. He knew that he was being shallow and everything he hated. He had a crush on someone he didn’t even know. And to make matters worse, her writing was outstanding. He hated himself for this. It wasn’t like him to get so…infatuated.

 

“Dude, get a grip on yourself,” Jughead muttered.

 

“What?” Dilton turned to him.

 

“Er, nothing. Sorry Dilton.”

…

Jughead got home from a long day at work and school. As soon as he walked in the door, Hotdog jumped on him.

 

“Hey, boy. Did you miss me?”

 

After Jughead fed hotdog, he walked over to his computer and turned it on.

FP3: LOOOONNNGG DAY.

 

BlueBird21: Hey! Me too. Can you believe the stupid group work we had to do in writing today?

 

FP3: I know, I hate group work. Lol.

 

BlueBird21: Me too, but it’s a necessary evil to finish school.

 

FP3: Oh it’s evil alright.

 

BlueBird21: Hey, so, are you ever going to tell me what coffee shop you work at?

 

FP3: What if I’m a serial killer?

 

BlueBird21: Highly unlikely, lol.

 

FP3: Well, are YOU ever going to tell me what art gallery you work at?

 

BlueBird21: Um.

 

FP3: See, that’s what I thought.

 

BlueBird21: I’m not telling you unless you tell me.

 

FP3: Same.

 

BlueBird21: Here we are, back at the same place again, lol.

 

FP3: Oh well, I guess we don’t trust each other that much.

BlueBird21: Well, I don’t want you figuring out who I am before I figure out who you are!

 

FP3: Fair enough.

 

BlueBird21: Hmmm.

 

FP3: ?

 

BlueBird21: You know…

 

FP3: No, I don’t lol. What’s up?

 

BlueBird21: Nothing, nvm.

 

FP3: Are you sure?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, I’ve got to go – sorry. Homework. Same time tomorrow, Romeo?

 

FP3: For sure, Juliet. Bye.

 

BlueBird21: Bye. XX

 

Jughead leaned back from his computer. He grinned as he thought about Betty’s smile from class earlier in the day. Why was she so freaking pretty, Jughead thought to himself as he got up to make dinner.

…

Betty Cooper was sitting on her bed looking at her laptop. She was wondering if Veronica was right. Betty stared into the distance and continued to think.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please comment. :)

4.

When Jughead got up the next morning, he had several unread messages from BlueBird21 in his inbox.

 

BlueBird21: Hey

 

BlueBird21: Are you up?

 

BlueBird21: Are you awake? :-(

 

BlueBird21: Bad night. Can’t sleep.

 

FP3: Hey, I’m so sorry. I actually went to bed early last night. Is everything okay?

 

BlueBird21: No, someone broke into my neighbor’s apartment. I heard loud sounds. Couldn’t sleep at all. Kind of scared me TBH.

 

FP3: Oh no. Are you okay?

 

BlueBird21: Yes, I wish I didn’t have to live here. It’s not a bad area, but it’s not the greatest either. But I’m not taking money from my parent’s just to live in a nicer apartment. Then, they would feel like they owned me. I just want to have economic autonomy, you know?

 

FP3: Yeah, I remember you telling me what a control freak your mom is, sorry BB. But hey, you know all about my family, so you’re not the only one with crazy parents. What did they take from your neighbors?

 

BlueBird21: I don’t know. I know they broke the lock on their front door though.

 

FP3: Yikes. But you’re okay?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah. I was kind of hoping you were burning the midnight oil again last night, FP.

 

FP3: Well, I usually do – you know what a coffee drinker I am. Lol.

 

BlueBird21: The one night I needed you…

 

FP3: Oh, it won’t happen again, Juliet. Scout’s honor.

 

BlueBird21: Yay. Internet bestie to the rescue.

 

FP3: I have to go, but I’ll definitely check this as soon as I get home. Will you be okay until then?

 

BlueBird21: Yes. I am now. Thanks, Romeo. XX

 

FP3: Anytime.

…

Later that evening, Veronica Lodge was hanging out in Betty’s room.

 

“Betty, why did you call me over here if all you’re going to do is message what’s his face. You’re seriously obsessed, girl.”

 

“I don’t know, I guess I was thinking about what you said the other night.”

 

Veronica rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of Betty’s bed, “So, message him already! Geez, just tell him you want to meet for coffee. Doesn’t he work in a freaking coffee shop, Betty?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well? Go meet the guy. You can’t be chicken forever. I feel like you talk to him more than you talk to me.”

 

“I don’t know, Ron…”

 

A “ping” sounded from Betty’s computer.

 

“Ahhh,” Veronica rolled her eyes, “See, what’s he saying now?”

 

FP3: Hey there, Juliet.

 

“He calls you Juliet?!”

 

“Yeah…” Betty grinned.

 

“You’re hopeless, you know that?”

 

BlueBird21: Hey!

 

FP3: Feeling better?

 

BlueBird21: I am now that you’re on here.

 

FP3: Good.

 

“Omg, Betty, you are TOTALLY flirting with him.”

 

“Am not,” Betty grinned, “I’m just, it’s our thing, you know?”

 

“You have a ‘thing’ and you haven’t even met the guy?!”

 

“Yeah…I don’t know, we have a lot in common. I really like talking to him.”

 

“Tell him you want to meet up.”

 

“No!”

 

FP3: Hello?

 

BlueBird21: Still here, sorry!

 

FP3: Hey, I forgot to tell you this the other day, but something kind of funny happened to me in our writing class.

 

BlueBird21: Oh?

 

FP3: I had to work on the group assignment with that girl I have a crush on…*CRINGE*

 

BlueBird21: Oh no, lol. How’d it go?

 

FP3: Good. I hope she didn’t catch me staring at her. She’s actually an amazing writer.

 

BlueBird21: Aww. You should tell me who it is. Maybe I know her?

 

FP3: No way, lol.

 

BlueBird21: Why not? There are at least 100+ students in that class, dude. I don’t even know who half of them are.

 

FP3: Hmmm…I don’t know…

 

BlueBird21: Oh come on. You said she has blonde hair, right?  


FP3: Yeah.

 

BlueBird21: And there are like 15+ blondes in the class…so…

 

FP3: Ok. Point well taken. I mean, the likelihood of you knowing them is slim, right?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, what a 2% probability?

 

FP3: Something like that, lol.

 

BlueBird21: Come on!

 

FP3: Hmmm…I don’t know…

 

BlueBird21: Well, if you won’t tell me your name or who you are, at least tell me your crush’s name?

 

FP3: Okay, fine.

 

BlueBird21: I’m waiting.

 

FP3: I don’t know much about her, but…

 

BlueBird21: Oh FP, the suspense is killing me lol.

 

FP3: But is this a good distraction from your apartment woes?

 

BlueBird21: The best kind, actually. Come on…tell me!

 

FP3: Okay…here goes

 

BlueBird21: ???

 

FP3: Her name is Betty.

 

Betty let out a gasp, putting her and up to her mouth. Veronica was on her phone and looked up.

 

“Betty?”

 

“OMG. Veronica, come here.” Betty pointed to the screen.

 

“What…omg.”

 

Betty looked at Veronica, “Ron…he said that he had to work on the group assignment with his crush the other day. Ron – _I’m that girl_. That’s means…”

 

Veronica laughed, “Omg, Betty! It’s _that guy_. You lucky bitch.”

 

Betty was still staring at the screen in disbelief.

 

FP3: Hello? Anyone there lol.

 

Betty looked at Veronica, “The one from our class…the one you told me to look at?!”

“Yeah.”

 

“What do I do?!”

 

“Tell him who you are, Betty.”

 

“Wait, no no…I can’t do that! Not yet.”

 

Veronica looked at Betty, “Betty – that guy is hot as fuck. You _have_ to meet him.”

 

“Ron.”

 

“I’m serious!” Veronica tried to grab her computer. Betty pulled her laptop away.

 

FP3: Hello, earth to BB? Your lack of a response is kind of worrying me, lol.

 

BlueBird21: Sorry, still here.

 

“Betty, come on! Meet up with him.”

 

FP3: Uhh…you aren’t her, lol. Are you?

 

BlueBird21: What? No, I don’t know a Betty.

 

FP3: Yeah, the class is kind of big. Didn’t think so.

 

BlueBird21: Yeah. Hey, listen, I have to go -my friend is here. Thank you for distracting me again. Talk later?

 

FP3: Sure.

 

BlueBird21: Bye Romeo. :)

 

FP3: Bye, Juliet.

 

Still a little shocked, Betty lowered her laptop and closed it.

 

“Ron, what am I going to do?! He doesn’t know that I’ve figured out who he is.”

 

“Betty, meet him in person and jump his bones already.”

 

“No, I can’t do that.”

 

“But you know who he is now, that changes things.”

 

“Does it?”

 

“Absolutely. You can’t keep typing to him as a disinterested stranger anymore, lol. And you _know_ he has a crush on you.”

 

Betty turned red, “He talks about how pretty his crush is all the time, Ron.”

 

“Yeah, his crush on YOU.” Veronica laughed.

 

Betty turned red, “He was really cute, wasn’t he?”

 

“Fine as fuck.”

 

“Veronica, honestly.”

 

“Just being honest, Betty. So, what are you going to do?”

 

“I don’t know yet…I…I’m nervous.”  


“Well, you better figure it out soon, _Juliet_.” Veronica emphasized the last word of her sentence and laughed.

 

Betty grinned, “ _Shut-up_!”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please comment. Thanks!

5.

Jughead was up early for his shift at work. He yawned as he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. He was surprised to see that BlueBird21 was online and had already sent him a message.

 

BlueBird21: Hello?? I’m back on.

 

FP3: Wow, you’re up earlier than me today.

 

BlueBird21: I know! Where have you been?? :)

 

FP3: Um, some of us require sleep. I do have a job to be at this morning, BB. Lol.

 

BlueBird21: I know. Hey, sorry for getting off so abruptly last night.

 

FP3: Don’t apologize. I presume you have a life beyond the internet or talking to me. Lol.

 

BlueBird21: Well, my friend was over and she was trying to read what I was typing to you.

 

FP3: Oh?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, I didn’t want her in our business.

 

FP3: Our business?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah!

 

FP3: Um, and what business might that be? Lol. I know that I can’t read too much human emotion into what your typing, but you seem very…Idk…excited today or something?

 

BlueBird21: I am.

 

FP3: Care to share?

 

BlueBird21: No, tee hee.

 

FP3: Tee Hee? Okay…

 

BlueBird21: Just joking around.

 

FP3: Your jokes are usually a little more clever than “tee hee” BB, but I’ll take it.

 

BlueBird21: Hey, so why don’t you ask the girl out that you have a crush on anyways?

 

FP3: Betty? Lol, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know I exist.

 

BlueBird21: How do you know that for a fact?

 

FP3: Because I don’t talk in class?

 

BlueBird21: You didn’t really answer my question, but okay.

 

FP3: I’m not sure if she would be interested in dating a guy like me, that’s all.

 

BlueBird21: No?

 

FP3: Yeah, she’s really pretty. She seems like she might have a type.

 

BlueBird21: What kind of type?

 

FP3: Idk…maybe like a jock or something?

 

BlueBird21: A jock?! :(

 

Betty frowned and continued to type.

 

FP3: But to be fair, her class paper was amazing, so she’s probably smart, too. Kinda out of my league, lol.

 

Betty smiled, thinking of what to say next. She didn’t want to risk being too obvious.

 

BlueBird21: Well what do you look like?

 

FP3: Why?

 

BlueBird21: Well, you’re saying she wouldn’t like you…and since I happen to enjoy talking to you, it can’t be that you aren’t interesting…so…what do you look like?

 

FP3: I look like I’m not her type. Someone is nosey today. Care to tell me what you look like?

 

BlueBird21: Haha. You got me.

 

FP3: So, are you ever going to tell me which art gallery you work at?

 

BlueBird21: No way!

 

FP3: Figures. I’ll keep asking until you cave. Hey, I have to go to work – chat later, Juliet?

 

BlueBird21: Of course, Romeo! ❤

 

FP3: Uhhh…hearts?

 

BlueBird21: Why not, they’re from the list of emoticons?

 

FP3: Okay, haha. ❤

 

BlueBird21: Bye! XX

 

Jughead got up from his desk. He had a weird feeling that he couldn’t quite place.

…

Betty and Veronica were already at the University heading to class.

 

“Veronica, please don’t make eye contact with him. He’ll know something is up.”

 

“I’m not making any promises, Betty.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Kidding. But hey, when are you going to tell him it’s you?! He’s freaking in love with you!”

 

“I can’t. Not yet.”

 

“I don’t see the problem. He might get mad that you didn’t tell him right away.”

 

“Oh no. Do you think so?”

 

“I’m sure he’ll get over it fast, Betty.”

 

“What if he doesn’t want to talk to me again?”

 

“Highly unlikely. Hey, I’m going to look at the attendance sheet today to do some snooping.”

 

“ _Veronica_.”

 

“Let me do my thing, Betty.”

 

“Please don’t draw attention to yourself.”

 

“Chill, girl.”

 

Betty and Veronica took their seats in the front row.

 

“Hey, looks like your very own Holden Caulfield is already here, Betty.” Veronica grinned, eyes darting to the back of the room. Her actions went largely unnoticed by Jughead, who already had his laptop out.

 

“Oh God.” Betty looked directly at the desk and sat down, averting her eyes on purpose.

 

“Plaid looks good on him.”

 

“Veronica, shut-up!”

 

“Here comes the attendance sheet, Betty.”

 

Both of their eyes glanced at it as Veronica signed “VL” on the page. Veronica’s eyes skimmed the list of names.

 

“ _There_ , look Betty!”

 

“ _Quiet_ ,” Betty hissed.

 

“F.P. Jones?”

 

“That’s him, I think, his username is FP3.”

 

Veronica grinned and passed Betty the attendance sheet, “See, Betty. And Jones is almost as common a name as Smith. Betty Jones. I LIKE It.”

 

“Veronica, shut up!” Betty whispered as she signed “BC” near her name and passed the attendance sheet.

 

After class, Betty and Veronica were in the hallway as Ethyl passed them.

 

“Hey Ethyl.”

 

“Oh, Hey Veronica. What’s up?” Ethyl clutched the straps of her back-pack and smiled.

 

“Listen, you know that kid that sits next to Dilton?”

 

“Oh Jughead, yeah. He was in my class last semester. Why?”

 

“His name is _Jughead_?” Veronica stared at her incredulously.

 

“That’s the nickname he goes by. I don’t know his real name.”

 

“Oh. Do he and Dilton live together by chance?”

 

“No, they just work together. They might live in the same building, but I don’t know.”  


“Oh okay. Where do they work?”

 

“At that one coffeehouse, downtown. I think it’s called Blackbird or something? It’s really popular with college students. Anyways, I have to run. See you guys later.”

 

“Bye.”

 

“Veronica,” Betty grabbed her arm, “Don’t you think your being way too obvious?”

 

“Look, do you want to find out more about him or not?”

 

Betty furrowed her brow, “Fine.”

 

Veronica grabbed Betty’s arm, “I’m feeling like a latte, Betty.”

 

“What? No! Veronica!”

 

“Come on!”

…

“Hey, Jughead. I have a mandatory meeting with a school advisor in a little bit. I just got the email this morning. Can you cover for me?”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

After Jughead brewed another pot of coffee, he began polishing the metal on the other machine. Fifteen minutes later Betty and Veronica walked in.

 

“Hey, Jughead?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Dilton grinned, “Dude, you’re going to hate me but I need to leave now.”

 

“What?” Jughead turned around to see what Dilton was smiling about, “ _Shit_. Dilton, don’t do this to me man.”

 

Dilton placed his hand on Jughead’s shoulder, “Time to get over your insecurities, dude. Just talk to her.”

 

“Dilton!”

 

He walked out from behind the counter to leave.

 

Jughead could hear Veronica laugh. She and Betty were talking about something at the front of the store.

 

“Great, just what I needed today,” Jughead thought.

…

 

“Betty, I’m going to sit here. Here’s a twenty. Now, go up there and talk to him.”

 

“But, what do I say?”

 

“Tell him who you are.”

 

“Here?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“No, Veronica. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

 

“And why the hell not?”

 

“It would really put him on the spot.”

 

“You’re impossible, Betty. Just go up and talk to him. You know, see what he’s like.”

 

Betty turned in the direction of the counter, “Fine.”

 

“That’s my girl.”

…

Betty walked up to the counter, “Hi, Jughead. Remember me from writing class?”

 

“Hey,” Jughead said nervously, “Yeah, that class sucks.”

 

“I know,” Betty laughed, “I _hate_ group work.”

 

“Me too,” Jughead paused and cleared his throat “So, what can I get you?”

 

“One latte and once iced coffee.”

 

“That will be 9.87.”

 

Betty handed him the twenty. She didn’t mean to, but their hands accidentally brushed.

 

“Sorry,” Betty said. She was certain she was turning red.

 

Jughead could feel his chest growing hot. Was he red, too? He tried to steady his breathing.

 

“Here’s your change.”

 

Betty grinned at him, “Thanks, Jug.” She walked over to join Veronica.

 

“So? _Omg_. Betty, your blushing.”

 

“I am not.”

 

“You really like him, don’t you?”

 

“Shut-up, Veronica.”

 

“Wow, this is too cute.”

 

“Veronica, you’re embarrassing me.”

 

“Oh, here’s he comes now, Betty.”

 

“Thanks, Jug.” Betty smiled at him.

 

“No problem,” Jughead grinned, certain he was blushing.

 

Veronica waited until Jughead was behind the counter before saying anything.

 

“Omg, Betty. Swoon. Did you see _how_ he looked at you?!”

 

“STOP.” Betty whispered.

 

“Dude, he is hot as fuck, Betty.”

 

“Veronica – keep your voice down!”

 

“What, you don’t think so? Tell me you don’t and I’ll lay off.”

 

“ _I_ …” Betty blushed, “Yeah, he’s really cute. I like his dark hair. It makes his blue eyes really stand out.”

 

“I bet he looks good under all that flannel, too. Fuck Betty, you have to hook up with that guy.”

 

“Language. Your making me feel really embarrassed, Veronica. Can you cool it with the expletives?”

 

“Fine. But say it.”

 

“What?”

 

“You like him. Now that you know he’s FP3, you can’t believe your luck.”

 

Betty looked down.

 

“I’m waiting.”

 

“ _Fine_ , you win okay. Will you be quiet about it now? I don’t want him to hear us, okay?”

 

“I knew it,” Veronica grinned and sipped her latte.

…

Later that night, Betty logged into her computer as soon as she was home. Her keys couldn’t type out a greeting fast enough.

 

BlueBird21: Hi!

 

FP3: Hey, how was your day?

 

BlueBird21: Great, how was yours?

 

FP3: It would have been fine except my crush came into my work again. She was with her friend this time.

 

BlueBird21: Oh?

 

Betty waited nervously for his reply.

 

FP3: Yeah, they were giggling about something. I hope it wasn’t me, lol. Why do you girls laugh like that?!

 

BlueBird21: Oh, well maybe they thought you were cute?

 

FP3: Highly unlikely.

 

BlueBird21: Well, how should I know? You won’t tell me what you look like…

 

FP3: Fair enough.

 

BlueBird21: So, did you talk to her?

 

FP3: Kind of. I don’t have a lot of experience around girls. I didn’t know what to say lol.

 

BlueBird21: I see.

 

FP3: She looked really pretty though. She always does.

 

BlueBird21: Aww. :) ❤ Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Are you going on the alternative spring break trip to Scotland and Ireland?

 

FP3: Yes. I had to save up a lot of vacation time at work just to be able to go. Are you?

 

BlueBird21: YES!!! :D

 

FP3: I’m really excited about it.

 

BlueBird21: We should meet. :)

 

FP3: What?

 

BlueBird21: Well, you know, we might see each other on the trip and not know it. And that would be a shame right.

 

FP3: Do you want to meet?

 

Suddenly, Betty got really nervous. What if she screwed everything up?

 

BlueBird21: It was a dumb idea, forget it.

 

FP3: Wait.

 

Betty got offline.

 

FP3: Hello? BB?

 

FP3: :(

 

FP3: I’ll be online tomorrow morning.

 

Betty worked up some courage again and got back online.

 

BlueBird21: Okay. ❤

 

FP3: Hearts again?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah? ❤

 

FP3: TTYL, Juliet. ❤

…

The next day, Jughead woke up and sent BlueBird21 a message before leaving for class.

 

FP3: BB - I hope I didn’t upset you or make you think I wasn’t interested in meeting you at some point. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you for almost seven months now. Let’s meet.

…

Betty and Veronica were getting ready to go to the gym when Betty opened her laptop.

 

“Checking to see if blue eyes sent you a message, Betty?”

 

Betty smirked.

 

“Well, did he?”

 

Betty grinned and let out a squeal, “Eeeee! Yes, he did. Come and see.”

 

“Omg. So, he wants to meet you! When are you going to man up, Betty?”

 

“Mmm, I don’t know Veronica.”

 

“Wait. Actually, don’t meet up with him just yet. I have a better idea.”

 

“Why are you giving me _that look_?”

 

“What _look_?”

 

“There, you’re doing it again.”

 

“Betty, what if you…have a little bit of fun?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, don’t meet him just yet. Ask him questions and stuff.”

 

“Veronica, I don’t think that would be very nice. It’s already not fair that we know who he is, but he doesn’t know who I am. Don’t you think that’s mean?”

 

“Maybe. But how else are you going to find out certain things?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“As him about sex.”

 

“He already told me he’s a virgin, too.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You two are helpless. Okay, ask him what his idea of a perfect date is. That’s a harmless question, Betty. Super generic.”

 

“I just…”

 

“Here, let me…”

 

BlueBird21: Hey! Random question…what’s your idea of a perfect date?

 

FP3: Are you going to glaze over the fact that I said I definitely want to meet in person? Because I was waiting for your response…

 

BlueBird21: No, sorry. I definitely want to meet, just not today.

 

FP3: Okay. :) My idea of a perfect date…I don’t know, I really like seeing movies in that old cinema downtown.

 

BlueBird21: Awesome, what else?

 

FP3: A walk in the park, definitely. Maybe dinner and then visiting a used bookstore? Except I would prefer to grab coffee somewhere else because I work in a coffee house 24/7…

 

BlueBird21: Sounds fun. And…

 

FP3: Netflix and chill afterwards. Definitely.

 

“Wow, Betty. You guys are made for each other. I would have gone straight to _f_ …”

 

“ _Veronica_!”

 

“Kidding, _relax_. Isn’t there anything you want to ask him, Betty?”

 

Betty grinned, “Yeah, kind of.”

 

“Well go ahead, Betty. Now’s your chance to have some pure, unadulterated fun.”

 

Betty looked at Veronica and took the laptop, “Okay.” Betty began to type.

 

BlueBird21: Yes, and as you know I’m a Netflix and chill kind of person too. Lol. Hey, um, what’s your favorite feature about your crush anyways?

 

FP3: Eyes.

 

“Awwww,” Betty and Veronica both remarked in unison.

 

BlueBird21: What color are your eyes?

 

FP3: Why? Lol.

 

BlueBird21: Just wondering.

 

FP3: Well, they’re blue.

 

BlueBird21: Bright blue or grey?

 

FP3: Idk…bright?

 

BlueBird21: Nice. :)

 

“Veronica, what do I ask him next?”

 

“Here, let me.”

 

Betty passed the computer to her.

 

Veronica put her hands together and smiled, “Okay, here goes.”

 

BlueBird21: So, fucking or making love?

 

“ _Veronica_!” Betty sounded exasperated.

 

“Shh,” Veronica continued to type.

 

FP3: Huh? Wow, BB, wth? Umm…I haven’t done either, so…

 

BlueBird21: Me neither. Just kidding around. Pick one.

 

FP3: Making love. I want to be in love with whoever I do that with. What’s with you today, lol?

 

“Omg, Betty. He IS perfect for you.”

 

Betty grinned, “He sounds really romantic!”

 

“See, told you this could be fun.”

 

“Shouldn’t we stop though, he might suspect something?”

 

“Yeah, maybe in a few. Okay, here you go.” Veronica handed her the laptop.

 

FP3: Hello?

 

BlueBird21: Still here:)

 

FP3: Hey, since your being so nosey about my crush and everything else today, who was that guy you went on a date with anyways?

 

BlueBird21: Umm.

 

FP3: Sorry, didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject, nvm. Forget I asked.

 

BlueBird21: No, it’s okay. I hadn’t thought about him until you brought him up just now tbh.

 

FP3: Wow, I’m failing as your internet bestie today, lol. Sorry!

 

BlueBird21: It’s okay, I guess I could tell you who he is.

 

FP3: Shoot.

 

BlueBird21: His name is Archie.

 

FP3: Wait, Archie Andrews?

 

Veronica looked at Betty, “Wait, he knows him?”

 

BlueBird21: Yeah? Why, do you know him or something.

 

FP3: Uhg, that’s the guy you went on a date with, BB? Yes, I know him. In fact, we grew up together. I guess you could say he was my best friend.

 

BlueBird21: Oh wow. Small world. What happened?

 

FP3: Wait, you don’t know who I am or something, do you? You would tell me right?

 

Betty looked over at Veronica, “Veronica, I don’t know about this. Now I’m lying to him.”

 

“Look, just see what he says Betty.”

 

Betty hesitated, but began to type again.

 

BlueBird21: Of course I would tell you.

 

FP3: Okay, just checking. I would feel really embarrassed if you knew who I was and didn’t tell me. Anyways, we just drifted apart. He got popular and I’m not really the social type. Typical High School relationship break-up, you know, one friend peaks before the other. He used to ignore me whenever he got a new love interest, anyways. Wait, BB, this isn’t upsetting you, is it? Please let me know if it is and I’ll stop.

 

BlueBird21: No, I’m okay.

 

FP3: Okay, because we can change the subject. But yeah, I know the guy. I’m not surprised he acted the way he did. Sorry you had to deal with that, you deserve better.

 

BlueBird21: Thanks. And it’s alright. I love talking to you. You always make me feel better.

 

FP3: I like talking to you, too. Soo…

 

BlueBird21: Hmm.

 

FP3: Let’s meet. You said you want to, I really do, too. But only if you do.

 

BlueBird21: Oh, I do. It’s just the next few days are busy for me.

 

FP3: Okay, let me know when. I have to go, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: I will. Thanks Romeo, you’re the sweetest. ❤

 

FP3: Anything for you. Bye!

 

Betty closed her laptop and looked at Veronica.

 

“I have to tell him soon, Veronica. This feels…weird.”

 

“Just meet him in person. It’s not a big deal Betty. He’ll thrilled when he sees it’s _you_.”

 

“Are you sure? He told me he had trust issues a while back because of his family.”

 

“Yes! I’m sure it will be fine. Are you _not_ the girl he refers to as his crush?”

 

“Yeah,” Betty grinned and looked down. Her cheeks were turning red, “I just don’t want to do anything to lose his trust. I really like him.”

 

“And I’m sure he’ll forget all about this once your underneath him Betty.”

 

“Shut-up.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I spent A LOT of time writing this chapter, which is why I haven't updated this story in a while. The good news is that it's really long. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Please comment. <3

6.

Jughead Jones was typing out a written assignment when a message popped up.

 

BlueBird21: Can we talk?

 

Betty wondered if she should reveal her identity now or wait and risk him finding out she knew who he was but said nothing.

 

FP3: What’s wrong, Juliet? You’re up late.

 

BlueBird21: Can’t sleep. I just got off the phone with my mom.

 

FP3: What happened?

 

BlueBird21: She was demanding that I move home as soon as I graduate and settle near her and dad. I guess she has this idea that I want my life to be a carbon copy of hers or something.

 

FP3: Yikes. Have you told her you want to stay in the city? You’re always telling me you prefer living here, anyways.

 

BlueBird21: Yes, but she doesn’t care about what I want. She only wants me to live the way that she and my dad see fit. Why can’t she just understand that their dreams are not MY dreams?

 

FP3: Well, it could be worse. At least they care, albeit in a controlling way. They could not care…

 

BlueBird21: Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to remind you of your own family issues. We can change the subject.

 

FP3: No, it’s alright.

 

BlueBird21: My mother is very controlling. That’s why I continue to refuse their money even though I could use it. They would only use it as a tool to manipulate me.

 

FP3: You don’t want them holding that over you. I get that.

 

BlueBird21: Exactly.

 

FP3: When my dad used to get wasted, all I could think was how I would work really hard to get the hell out of their and not end up like him. He used to act belligerent whenever he was like that. I hated it. My dad’s not a control freak like your mom, but I still wanted to get the hell away from him. He’s great when he’s sober, but that doesn’t happen very often. And my parents split up right before I was about to start school here, so going with mom and my sister wasn’t really an option, not when I’d worked so hard to get into school here.

 

BlueBird21: Sorry.

 

FP3: It’s alright, but going to school and working is not easy as you well know.

 

BlueBird21: I know. I’m still not making a lot at my current job. And I’m stressed out all the time.

 

FP3: Are you still having anxiety issues? Please tell me your eating. A few months ago when we were talking on here you told me that you didn’t eat all weekend because you were so stressed out. And it’s not like you had a reason to lie to me, I don’t even know who you are. It kind of scared me, BB.

 

BlueBird21: Yes, still having some anxiety. I know you told me you used to get depressed a lot, so I’m glad you don’t judge me when I tell you I feel anxious. My anxiety was pretty bad until a few days ago.

 

FP3: Was bad? What changed?

 

Betty smiled. She wanted to tell him that she found out who he was and that she was not only in love with her internet crush, but his exterior was just as charming. Betty grinned. She wasn’t ready to tell him just yet, so she resigned herself to waiting.

 

BlueBird21: Something is looking up for me.

 

FP3: Nice to hear. Care to share?

 

BlueBird21: …

 

FP3: Haha. Whatever, you can’t just dangle that on here and not tell me…

 

BlueBird21: Are you calling me a TEASE, FP3. ❤ :P

 

FP3: Yes. The worst kind. :P

 

BlueBird21: I really like talking to you.

 

FP3: You too. And now’s my chance to bring it up again. Can we meet?

 

Betty stopped. She wanted to meet him so badly, tell him how talking to him was the only highlight of her week sometimes and that she felt like she was totally honest with him most of the time and how insightful he was, and how spot on he was about his observations. And how sometimes he was the only one keeping her sane.

 

No, too soon. Betty wondered if she should run this by Veronica. She just hoped her friend, who was kind of a shit starter, wouldn’t make things worse.

 

BlueBird21: Yes, I would be very excited to meet you in person BUT…

 

FP3: Busy again?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, but not for long, I swear!

 

FP3: I feel like your blowing our date off, Juliet. I’m hurt! *pretends to wound side* Is there another guy??

 

BlueBird21: Yes. *tee hee*

 

FP3: Oh? New crush?

 

BlueBird21: Yes. ❤

 

FP3: Can’t believe your cheating on me. Whatever.

 

BlueBird21: Would you be mad?

 

FP3: Umm…yeah. You’re like the epitome of everything I’d want in a girl.

 

BlueBird21: Really?

 

Betty felt her stomach do a somersault.

 

FP3: Yeah, but to be fair, we are a lot more honest on here than we’d ever be in real life…

 

BlueBird21: Sometimes art imitates life!

 

FP3: Touché.

 

BlueBird21: Thanks for calming me down, FP. I feel like I can actually go to sleep now.

 

FP3: *soothing touch*

 

BlueBird21: *hugs* ❤

 

FP3: *eye roll at your overuse of hearts* Goodnight, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: Goodnight, Romeo. ❤ ❤ ❤

 

FP3: Stop that!

 

Betty signed off. She felt a sensation travel to the pit of her stomach and up her chest. She was falling for him hard and she knew it.

…

The next day, Betty and Veronica were eating lunch on campus.

 

“You’re awfully smiley today, Betty. Were you up all night thinking about Jughead? No, let me rephrase that, were you thinking about him touching _you_?”

 

“Veronica.”

“Kidding. But I can tell he makes you happy. Otherwise, why would you have that grin on your face.”

 

“I was up late because I couldn’t sleep, Veronica.”

 

“Anxiety again?” Veronica’s tone changed to one of concern.

 

“Yeah, but talking to him really helps. He always says the wittiest things, and I don’t know, it helps me to relax a little. Talking to him always makes me smile. It did even before I knew that…”

 

“…THAT he is fucking hot?” Veronica finished her sentence.

 

Betty smiled.

 

“Aww, swoon. So, when can we ask him more questions again? Because I’ve thought of some really juicy ones.”

 

“ _We_ are not asking him anything, Veronica. Not anymore. I don’t want him to figure out that it’s me.”

 

“Fine, have it your way, Betty. But you could ask him questions yourself, you know.”

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

“So do it.”

 

“I think I’m going to meet up with him instead.”

 

“Yeah, but you can delay it another day or two.”

 

“I suppose I could.”

 

“What’s the harm?”

 

“I don’t know, I just don’t like that we’re deceiving him, you know?”

 

Veronica put her hand on Betty’s shoulder, “Betty, most girls would _kill_ to have a guy give them honest answers about anything. Trust me.”

 

“Yeah, maybe.”

 

“Just ask him a few more and meet him.”

 

“I just hope he’s not mad.”

 

“Betty, you’re overthinking this.”

 

Betty sipped on her iced tea. Would Jughead be mad when he found out it was her all along?

…

 

FP3: Good evening.

 

BlueBird21: Hi Romeo.

 

FP3: What’s up?

 

BlueBird21: I’m bored, want to play a game?

 

FP3: Bored? I thought you said you were stressed?

 

BlueBird21: That too.

 

FP3: Well aren’t we the typical college student.

 

BlueBird21: You calling me basic, FB?

 

FP3: Hey, if the shoe fits..

 

BlueBird21: Rude! Okay…what kind of flowers would you give a girl?

 

FP3: Roses.

 

BlueBird21: Who’s basic now?

 

FP3: Funny. Seriously though, they’re classic.

 

BlueBird21: Ok. Who should be the one to initiate making out?

 

FP3: What is this truth or dare over the internet?

 

BlueBird21: Yes…just answer…

 

FP3: Well, I would say the guy; however, given what you told me…maybe the girl?

 

BlueBird21: :(

 

FP3: Oh, I didn’t mean anything by that – sorry! I just meant that IF the girl initiates it, then the guy will know she’s ready and she won’t feel like he pressured her into anything!

 

BlueBird21: Good save. ❤

 

FP3: I couldn’t have my internet BFF mad at me…who would I snark to?

 

BlueBird21: You’re dog? I bet you talk to him…

 

FP3: Hey, don’t judge me on my affection for my dog. I bet you’re a cat person – the neighborhood’s resident crazy cat woman.

 

BlueBird21: Excuse me?

 

FP3: Yeah, spinstery and all.

 

BlueBird21: At the ripe age of 22?! Wow…

 

FP3: Got you back.

 

Suddenly, Betty got really nervous. She wondered what if would be like to kiss him. She figured it was time to find out. Betty swallowed and began to type.

 

BlueBird21: So, I’m ready to meet you.

 

FP3: Oh? Status from “being busy” suddenly changed? Am I your back up date because another guy cancelled or something?

 

More like you’re _the_ guy, Betty thought. She pursed her lips together and let out a large smile. She began to type again.

 

BlueBird21: No, tee hee.

 

FP3: Let’s do it.

 

BlueBird21: Okay…but you go first…

 

FP3: Okay. I’m going to tell you where I work…do you want to meet there?

 

BlueBird21: Okay.

 

FP3: But IF I tell you, then you have to be serious about meeting up with me. Agreed.

 

Betty took a deep breath. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. She smiled and began to type.

 

BlueBird21: Ok. All in.

 

FP3: Alright. But no chickening out, okay?

 

BlueBird21: None.

 

FP3: I work at Blackbird Coffeehouse

 

BlueBird21: Oh, really?? :)

 

Betty swooned. She felt giddy at the prospect of them meeting.

 

FP3: Yes. Do you know where that is?

 

BlueBird21: I do! And now the question is when.

 

FP3: Thursday? You could meet me there after my shift ends.

 

BlueBird21: It’s a date, internet bestie. ❤

 

FP3: You and those hearts. Alright, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: Wait, should we exchange numbers?

 

FP3: Not yet. How about day of?

 

BlueBird21: Sounds reasonable.

 

FP3: I don’t want you to look up who I am by calling the phone company.

 

BlueBird21: That’s exactly what I was going to do…

 

FP3: I know, I figured as much.

 

BlueBird21: :) can’t wait.

 

FP3: Me too. And BB, everything is going to work out for you. Even if you decide to stay in the city away from your parents.

 

BlueBird21: Thanks. I needed that.

 

FP3: Anytime, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: Later Romeo. ❤

 

FP3: ❤

 

Jughead signed off. He was grinning. He hoped this girl, whoever she was, would be the friend he so desperately wanted right now. Suddenly, Jughead had a fleeting thought. It would be an added bonus _if_ she was pretty, although that wasn’t strictly necessary. He liked her or whoever she was. At least, he felt like he actually _knew_ her.

 

Betty set her laptop down. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She just hoped he like her as much in person as she liked him online.

…

 

“What are you smiling about Jughead? You never smile.”

 

“Gee thanks, Dilton.”

 

“Seriously, you’ve been grinning all day. What gives?”

 

“You know that person I’ve been talking to online?”

 

“You’re ‘little birdy’?”

 

“BlueBird21.”

 

“Joking, yeah?”

 

“She’s coming here today. We’re meeting here as soon as my shift ends.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Woah, man. I hope she’s not an ogre. Have you ever seen that show Catfish?”

 

“Yes, Dilton. That show is fake as hell, by the way. I _only_ want to meet her because I care about how she looks. Heaven forbid I actually like her as a person. Do you think I’m _that_ vapid and shallow?”

 

“No, just giving you a hard time. But you’re already crushing awfully hard on that Betty girl.”

 

“Dilton.”

 

“What? Chill, Jughead.”

 

“If you see a girl come in after my shift and I don’t notice, please let me know. Oh, and don’t yell my name across the counter, PLEASE.”

 

“Alright, I got you fam.”

 

“I see your vernacular has worsened by the minute.”

 

“I’m sorry if my slang is too rough for your uptown ears.”

 

Jughead grinned.

…

Veronica was in Betty’s room helping her get ready.

 

“Betty, he’s gonna die when he sees you in THIS.”

 

“Are you sure it’s not too much, Veronica?”

 

“No, a blue sundress with sandals is very casual.”

 

Betty grinned.

 

“Just use protection, okay?”

 

“I wish you’d stop making crass assumptions about how our date will go.”

 

“So, you’re saying you wouldn’t hit that?”

 

Betty blushed, “ _Stop_.”

 

“ _Well_?”

 

“Shut-up.”

…

 

As Betty made her way to the coffeeshop, she started clenching her fists together. She was definitely nervous. She felt one of her blisters start to peel on her hands. It was a nervous tick she had developed due to her anxiety disorder. She often dug her fingernails into her palms when she felt nervous. Although she was fraught with anticipation, today was no exception for her anxiety to rear its ugly head.

 

“ _Ouch_ ,” Betty hissed. She released her hand and continued towards the coffeeshop.

…

 

Jughead was still grinning after he cleaned up for the evening.

 

“Hey, Dilton. I’m going to run across the street. I’ll be right back.”

 

Betty texted Jughead’s phone, “Hey, be there in 5 minutes.”

 

“Okay!,” Jughead replied back. I just have to run across the street. I will be there momentarily, Juliet.”

 

“Sounds good, Romeo.”

 

As Betty entered the coffeeshop, Dilton turned around. Betty approached the counter.

 

“Oh, hey! What can I get you?”

 

“Umm,” Betty looked around the coffeeshop, “ _Is Jughead here_?”

 

“Why,” suddenly Dilton realized what was going on, “ _Oh_ , he’ll be right back.” Dilton grinned. Boy was Jughead in for a real shock, thought Dilton.

 

“Okay, should I just wait here?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Betty turned around.

 

“Betty,” Dilton cleared his throat, “Does Jughead know…”

 

They’re conversation was interrupted by Jughead entering the coffeeshop through the front door, “Hey Dilton, I…”

 

Suddenly, Jughead noticed Betty and came to a stop. Dilton looked concerned behind the counter.

 

“Oh, hey Betty. Sorry you’ll have to excuse me, I’m waiting for someone.”

 

Betty was looking at him, smiling. Jughead stopped again.

 

“Jug…”

 

A feeling of nervousness swept over Jughead as his voice broke, “What are you doing here?” Slowly, he began to realize what was going on.

 

“It’s me, Jug. _I’m BlueBird_.”

 

Jughead stared at her, not quite registering what she had said for a moment.

 

Betty’s smile began to fade, “Jug, it’s me.”

 

Jughead didn’t know he could feel so many emotions at once. Overwhelmed, surprised, pissed off. Happy? _Elated_.

 

“What?”

 

“You said to meet you here. You know, today. We’ve been talking all this time and…”

 

Jughead couldn’t believe it. So, she was BlueBird? _Betty_ was Bluebird. The girl he had imagined as a goddess in his head was standing before him. Only she wasn’t. She had shared all of her imperfections with him. He had shared all of his imperfections with her. _And_ he had shared what a crush he had on her. He was pissed.

 

“You lied to me?” As soon as the words tumbled out of his lips he knew how harsh they sounded, but it was too late to retract them.

 

“Jug, I…”

 

Jughead stared at her.

 

“No, Jug, I…”

 

“ _You knew_.”

 

“Well, only just recently when you told me that…”

 

“And you kept tricking me after that, asking me weird, personal questions?!”

 

“No, well, _yes_ , I…”

 

“You lied to me, Betty.”

 

Jughead turned around to leave the store. Betty ran after him, attempting to grab his harm. But Jughead turned around, brushing her off.

 

“ _Don’t_.”

 

Jughead walked off.

 

Betty started to feel tears welling up in her eyes. She turned around. Dilton was still staring at them.

…

That evening, Betty Cooper was sitting on her bed crying. She didn’t expect him to be that mad. She had to try something. Betty pulled out her laptop.

 

BlueBird21: Jughead? :(

 

Jughead saw the message notification, but ignored it for a while. He was still pissed at her for deceiving him. He felt like an idiot.

 

FP3: I’m pissed, Betty. Not sure what else you want to hear, but there you go.

 

BlueBird21: Please, won’t you give me a chance to explain myself? We’ve been talking for so long.

 

FP3: Which is why I can’t believe you didn’t tell me who you were right away. I trusted you. I know I didn’t know who you were, but I did.

 

BlueBird21: I know, I’m sorry.

 

Jughead sighed and began to type.

 

FP3: Betty, I told you things about myself that I’ve never told anyone else. Can you at least see this from my point of view?

 

BlueBird21: Yes, but I told you really private stuff about myself, too.

 

FP3: And that’s supposed to make everything okay?

 

BlueBird21: No, but please just give me a chance.

 

FP3: Look, Betty, people have let me down most of my life. You knew that.

 

BlueBird21: I’m sorry. Look, I really like you okay? Can we please talk? Call me.

 

FP3: And I suppose the giggling I heard in the coffee shop was about me after all? God Betty, what did you and your rich bitch friend do, laugh at me?

 

BlueBird21: No! Of course not! We were…

 

FP3: What? You were what?

 

Betty didn’t want to tell him that they were talking about how cute he was, not yet.

 

FP3: See, that’s what I thought.

 

BlueBird21: Jug, please.

 

FP3: Please just leave me alone.

 

Jughead signed off.

 

Betty put her face into her pillow. Later that night, she called Veronica in tears.

 

“Veronica, Jughead is pissed off. He stormed off as soon as he saw it was me. He said I lied to him.”

 

“Betty, deep breaths.”

 

“This is making me feel really anxious.”

 

“He’s just mad, give him some time to calm down.”

 

“I know him, Veronica. He’s taking this betrayal really personally.”

 

“Just give him space.”

 

“I don’t know if I can. Who will I talk to at night?”

 

“You can always call me, babe.”

 

“Okay.”

 

After Betty got off the phone, she thought about what Veronica has said. It wasn’t even remotely the same as what she had with Jughead. She told him everything because she could. And he always listened. Betty didn’t really have that kind of transparency with anyone. As she thought about what she might have lost, she started to cry.

…

The next day, Jughead took his seat in the back row of his writing class. Although he was still fuming, he took notice of the fact that Betty was not in her usual seat. After several minutes passed, her friend took her seat. Betty was not with her. Jughead decided he was too irritated to care.

 

After class was dismissed, Jughead got up to leave. He headed towards the hallway when he heard a voice behind him.

 

“Woah there, Romeo.”

 

Responding to the name, Jughead turned around, hands still in his pockets.

 

“Gee, glad to know you were listening in on our conversations too”

 

“Don’t you think your overeating to this whole thing?”

 

“Who are you to tell me what I should feel and how I should react?”

 

“Touchy much? Look, Betty likes you. Can’t you let this slide? Talk to her.”

 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but she lied to me.”

 

“Look part of that was my instigating, ok. I told her to get to know you.”

 

“Oh and I’m supposed to thank you or something? Whatever, forget it.”

 

Jughead turned to leave. Veronica stepped in front of him.

 

“Jughead, look, the real reason Betty isn’t in class today is because she had a panic attack.”

 

“Wait, _what_ ,” Jughead’s look shifted to one of concern.

 

“Yeah, she has a pretty bad anxiety disorder.”

 

Jughead’s voice softened, “ _I know_ , is she okay?”

 

“I’ve talked to her, but I don’t know about right now.”

 

“I have to go.”

 

Jughead pushed past her, picking up his pace. He was going to the University’s library to use the WIFI on his laptop to send Betty a message. He was pissed as hell, but he didn’t want her having anxiety because of him. Not after everything she had told him. Veronica stared after him, grinning. She knew she had been a bitch, but she also knew that he couldn’t stay mad at her for long. And she had been right. All it took was a little push.

…

Jughead sat down on a nearby table and opened his laptop. He had already ignored a couple of messages from her.

 

BlueBird21: Juggie?

 

BlueBird21: :(

 

FP3: Hi. Look, I’m only sending you this message because Veronica said you had a panic attack. Are you okay?

 

Betty was sitting on her bed when she heard a “ding.” She gasped and looked in her inbox.

 

BlueBird21: No :(

 

FP3: Why?

 

BlueBird21: Because of what happened.

 

FP3: Betty, I already told you why that pissed me off.

 

BlueBird21: And I already told you I was sorry.

 

FP3: Look, I don’t feel like chatting on here, but I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.

 

BlueBird21: Not okay.

 

FP3: Are you eating?

 

BlueBird21: No, I haven’t eaten for two days.

 

Whatever grudge Jughead held against Betty dissipated in that moment, albeit temporarily.

 

FP3: Okay, look Betty, I don’t want you having anxiety on account of me.

 

BlueBird21: :(

 

Feeling flustered, Jughead put his hands behind his head. Then he began to type again.

 

FP3: What can I do to make you stop feeling this way?

 

BlueBird21: Can we please meet up and talk?

 

Jughead would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to get to know her. He was lying to himself right now, letting his pride get the better of him.

 

FP3: Fine. When and where.

 

BlueBird21: The met @ 2:30?

 

FP3: Fine.

 

Jughead signed off the computer. Betty grinned. She flung her body off the bed and practically ran into her bathroom to shower.

…

 

“Look, Jughead, it’s none of my business man, but your ‘Birdy’…Betty left here in tears the other day.”

 

Jughead was cleaning out a coffee filter, “Wait, what?”

 

“Yeah, she seemed upset.”

 

Jughead quipped, “Her friend, Veronica, basically said as much, which is why I’m going to see her now.”

 

Dilton grinned, “More like you have an effing crush on her and can’t resist.”

 

“Shut up, man.”

 

Dilton smiled and went back to the cash register.

…

 

Jughead walked up the steps to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He wondered if this was the gallery that Betty worked at. He was also annoyed with himself for being more excited than angry at the thought of meeting up with her.

 

“Here,” Jughead sent Betty a single word text.

 

Betty smiled as she picked up her phone and sent him a text, “I’m in the Romanticist section.”

 

“You’re going to make me do a scavenger hunt to find you?” Jughead grinned as he typed a reply.

 

“Yes?”

 

Jughead asked the front desk where to go. They pointed him down a marble hallway. When he past the hallway he entered a bright room. Betty was standing in front of a Turner painting.

 

Jughead walked up to Betty.

 

“I’m here.”

 

Betty turned around. Jughead noticed that her eyes looked a little red. He hoped that it hadn’t been because of him. He also stared at her face, his eyes lingering just a little too long. He thought about how pretty she was, wondering what it would be like to touch her. Then he remembered he was pissed and forgot the feeling entirely.

 

“Hi.”

 

“So, this is where you work?” Jughead looked around, “Nice.”

 

“For now,” Betty’s voice cracked a little. She sounded hesitant and averted her eyes from him a little.

 

Jughead looked at her, “So, why meet _here_?”

 

“Because it will be harder for you to run away.”

 

“Clever. Because they don’t allow you to run in a gallery?”

 

“Yeah,” Betty managed a faint smile.

 

“But how are we supposed to talk here?”

 

“I don’t know,” Betty conceded, “But I figured you couldn’t yell at me.”

 

“Look, I’m sorry for raising my voice, Betty. It’s just…you made me feel like a fool.”

 

“I’m really sorry, Juggie.”

 

“Why do you keep calling me _that_?” Jughead managed to grin a little.

 

Betty smiled. She felt his eyes glance down at her lips for about two seconds, then they darted up. “Um, I don’t know. I just felt like it fit.”

 

“You can’t call me a ridiculous nickname without me giving you one.” Jughead was grinning now and had relaxed his posture. He hated how her smile was making him feel whipped. He was mad, he deserved to be mad. He wanted to be mad. And then she kept smiling at him and looking at him like _that_.

 

“Look, Betts, let’s go somewhere where we can actually talk, alright?”

 

“Betts?!”

 

“Yeah, that’s your nickname now. _I just felt like it fit_ ,” Jughead mirrored her words back to her.

 

Betty smiled, “Where do you want to go?”

 

“Have you eaten today?”

 

“Nnnoo,” Betty stammered, answering honestly.

 

“Betty!” Jughead reached out to touch her, but stopped just short of her shoulder, “Ok, come on.”

…

 

Betty and Jughead were walking next to each other on the sidewalk. Neither was saying anything.

 

“Here we are.” Jughead held the door to a charming little café open for her, “After you.”

 

Betty looked up at him. Jughead was having a hard time looking her in the face, he felt like if he stared for too long he would turn red.

 

“ _Here_.” Jughead motioned her over to a small table with a yellow flower in the center, “What do you want to eat?”

 

“Do they have turkey sandwiches?” Betty grabbed her wallet.

 

“Yeah they do, no, I’ll get it. Just sit here, okay?”

 

Betty grinned. She watched as Jughead went up to the counter to talk to a man in a white apron. She watched him gesticulate the order, being particular with _how_ the food should be made. She heard him toss in words like “rosemary” and “asiago.” Betty knew he was shy, but she liked watching him like this.

 

Jughead headed back to the table with two iced teas, “Here, Betts. The ice tea of the day is Black currant. It’s one of my favorites.” Jughead placed her iced tea in front of her and sat down, still not quite looking her in the eye.

 

Betty was watching him. Because he wasn’t looking directly at her, his head was bent down slightly. His dark eyelashes stuck out against his pale face and black hair. When he finally looked up at her, she could see his eyes were a deep blue color.

 

Jughead could feel his face growing hot. He was blushing and she could probably tell now. Shit.

 

“Juggie, I’m sorry about what happened. Can you forgive me?”

 

“Betts, you kind of made me feel like a fool.”

 

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.”

 

“ _I know_.” Jughead conceded. He was staring at her now. The lingering glances they were exchanges were cut short when Jughead heard ‘Jones’ from behind the marble countertop, “That’s our food. I’ll be right back, okay Betts.”

 

Betty grinned. He was still calling her by that nickname. Betty managed to whisper under her breath, “ _Okay, Juggie_.”

 

Jughead returned with two gourmet looking sandwiches. He placed hers in front of her first and then put his down.

 

“Wow,” Betty laughed. “These look amazing.”

 

“Less talking more eating.” Jughead smiled as Betty took a bite out of the sandwich.

 

They both ate without speaking. When Betty finished she looked up at him and grinned, “Thanks Juggie.”

 

“Stop with the nickname.”

 

“Then _you_ stop.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Look, I just wanted to make sure you’re eating, okay?”

 

Betty smiled. She loved that he was acting so concerned about her even thought she had pissed him off. She wondered what it would be like to cuddle with him, to touch him, to kiss his lips...and he looked like he had really soft lips.

 

“So.” Betty’s eyes met his again.

 

“So, I’m going to see a movie in the park this weekend.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, they are showing a movie in Central Park.” Jughead looked up at Betty, her eyes full of expectation. He was going to hate himself for caving like this, but he wanted to hang out with her again. And he hated that he was about to concede to her.

 

“I’m going there on Saturday. You can come if you want.”

 

“ _I’d like that_ ,” Betty whispered.

 

As they got up to leave the café, Jughead held the door open for her. They walked side by side again, not saying much.

 

Betty turned to look at him.

 

“Thanks, Juggie.” Betty grabbed for his hand, letting it slide against his palm as she gently locked his pinky finger with hers.

 

Jughead looked at their hands and looked up at her, annoyed at how quickly he had succumbed to the touch of the tip of her finger against his, temporarily forgetting why he had been angry with her in the first place.

…

Later Betty returned to her apartment. She spun around her room as she smiled before plopping onto her bed. She opened her laptop and sent Jughead a message.

 

BlueBird21: Hey

 

Jughead got the message while he was sitting at his desk.

 

FP3: Hey

 

BlueBird21: Thanks for taking me to lunch, Juggie. And for listening to me.

 

Jughead couldn’t help but grin.

 

FP3: Sure. And please eat, okay? I don’t want you not eating.

 

BlueBird21: :)

 

FP3: Promise me you’ll eat, Betts?

 

BlueBird21: I promise.

 

FP3: So, Saturday?

 

BlueBird21: I’m in.

 

FP3: Do you want to meet there or…

 

BlueBird21: Um…

 

Admittedly, Jughead was still worried about Betty. He wondered if she would be alright. He actually thought it might be good for him to keep an eye on her. He had to make sure she ate, right? Ate, slept, was okay. He should probably keep an eye on her. At least, that’s what he told himself. He convinced himself that was the reason why he was doing this and why he invited her to watch a movie with him in the park.

 

FP3: I’ll pick you up.

 

Betty smiled, drumming her fists on the bed, “Eeeee!”

 

BlueBird21: Okay! Should I bring anything?

 

FP3: No, Juliet. Just bring yourself.

 

BlueBird21: Okay.

 

FP3: Alright.

 

BlueBird21: Okay then, Saturday.

 

FP3: Saturday.

 

BlueBird21: Well, bye.

 

FP3: Night Betts.

 

BlueBird21: Night Juggie. ❤

 

FP3: :/

 

BlueBird21: :D

 

FP3: :)

 

Jughead signed off. He leaned back from his laptop, putting his hands behind his bed. Just then, Hotdog rushed out from his room. He had been napping part of the day.

 

“What is it boy?”

 

Hotdog looked at him, then barked.

 

“What?”

 

Hotdog barked again.

 

“No, I’m not going to replace you buddy.”

 

Hotdog whimpered. Jughead wondered if Hotdog could sense something he didn’t, “Come on, let’s go for a short walk.”

…

 

On Saturday morning, Betty met Veronica at the University gym. Veronica was already on the elliptical.

 

“I’m glad you agreed to meet me here. You okay?”

 

“More than okay.” Betty grinned.

 

“Omg. Did you meet up with him? I _knew_ my plan would work.”

 

“Veronica, what did you do?” Betty shot her a disapproving nod.

 

“Nothing. I told him the truth, you had a panic attack.”

 

“Honest?”

 

“Yeah, I knew as soon as he heard that he would get over whatever the hell he was fuming about in the first place. He flew out the door after I told him.”

 

“Really?” Betty grinned.

 

“Yeah, he was all concerned. Honestly, Betty. I don’t know why you were so worried about this. The boy is whipped.”

 

“Veronica.”

 

“What? Just stating the obvious. Speaking of Jughead, when are you going to see him again?”

 

“Tonight.”

 

“Straight to his place for some fun?”

 

“Shut-up.” Betty grinned.

 

“Where then?”

 

“We are going to see a movie in Central Park.”

 

“Betty that is totally a date.”

 

“It is, right? I wasn’t really sure.”

 

“Yes. Absolutely.”

 

“Okay, what else do I do?”

 

“What do you do? You just jump on him, Betty. Shit, it isn’t rocket science.”

 

“Veronica.”

 

“Are you meeting him there?”

 

“No, he’s picking me up.”

 

“It’s a date.”

 

“Well, I don’t know. We are hanging out.”

 

Veronica rolled her eyes, “Seriously, Betty. You should just make the first move on him. You already know he likes you.”

 

“Yeah, but.”

 

“But?”

 

“I don’t want to rush things, you know.”

 

“You’ve been talking to the guy for seven months. Explain how that’s rushing things?”

 

Betty smiled.

…

That Saturday, Betty was waiting on her couch for Jughead to pick her up. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt really nervous. Suddenly, her phone went off.

 

“Hey, am I at the right place?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Cool. Be there in five. I’ll come grab you.”

 

Betty got up as soon as her doorbell rang and went to open the door.

 

Jughead was wearing a coat with his usual beanie and suspenders, “ _Hey_.” Jughead gave her a shy smile, “Ready to go.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Betty shut her front door. As they walked towards his car, Jughead walked ahead and opened the car door for her.

…

When they arrived at the park, Jughead parked his car along the street, walking over to the passenger side of his vehicle. Jughead opened the car door for Betty and the two of them made their way towards the lawn.

 

“So, what movie are they showing?”

 

“ _Giant_. Have you seen it?”

 

“No, but I’ve seen _Rebel Without a Cause_.”

 

Jughead smiled at her and then looked ahead. They found an area to sit that gave them a good view of the screen, but wasn’t too close to it.

 

“Here,” Jughead pointed at the grass, “This spot looks good.”

 

The two of them sat down, neither one facing each other. As the movie started playing, Betty glanced over at Jughead’s profile. He turned to look at her. There’s eyes met for a second and she smiled.

 

After about twenty minutes had passed, Jughead looked over at Betty and noticed that she was holding her arms. Betty looked at him.

 

“I’m cold.”

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think to bring a blanket. I’m always wearing this jacket.” Jughead paused as Betty looked at him. “Here, you can wear this,” Jughead moved to take off his coat, but Betty spoke up.

 

“Wait, but then you’ll get cold.”

 

“Oh, good point.” Jughead thought about it for a second. He wanted to cuddle her or maybe have her sit in his lap, but he was worried that it felt too soon, “Um, here Betts.” Jughead pulled one of his arms out of his jacket sleeve. Betty understood and moved forward. She sat right next to him, their sides touching completely as she wrapped the side of the jacket around her. Jughead looked at her, their faces were very close.

 

“Better?”

 

Betty nodded as their eyes lingered over one another for a moment. Jughead’s face returned to the movie screen. After an hour and a half passed, Betty felt herself drifting off. Her head rested on Jughead’s shoulder. Jughead didn’t say anything, he would let her lay on him if that’s what she wanted to do. Betty jerked awake and resumed her normal position as Jughead smiled and looked at her.

 

“How long is this movie, Juggie?”

 

“Really long,” Jughead grinned.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Is that okay?”

 

“Yeah, hey Juggie…”

 

“What is it?” Jughead looked right into her eyes, their faces were very close. He was glad the darkness was concealing the blush he felt creeping up his chest.

 

“Are we ever going to talk about what happened between us…online.”

 

Jughead considered it for a moment. But the feel of her pressed next to him made him care less and less. Finally, he came to a decision.

 

“ _No_ ,” Jughead whispered to her, eyes lingering on her face and lips.

 

Betty grinned. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder, jacket still wrapped around her side. Jughead let his free arm travel down to her waist. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around it.

…

Later that night, Jughead walked Betty up to her apartment.

 

“Did you like it?”

 

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun Juggie.”

 

“There you go with that name again, Betts.”

 

“If you honestly don’t like it, you can tell me to stop.”

 

“No, you can keep using it.” He liked teasing her, but he meant it.

 

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them as they reached Betty’s front door. Betty had stopped right at her door, angling her body towards his and looked up at him. Jughead wondered if he should kiss her.

 

“Thanks for tonight.”

 

“Well, are you at least feeling less anxious now.”

 

“Yeah.” Betty paused.

 

Jughead shifted his feet, his hands were in his pockets.

 

“Maybe we can hang out again soon, Jug?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Oh and thanks for, you know…”

 

“For what?”

 

“Letting my idiocy go. For not being angry anymore about what happened online.”

 

Their eyes were still on one another as Jughead let out a deep sigh. Betty leaned up towards his face and planted a swift kiss on his cheek.

 

“Goodnight, Romeo.”

 

When Betty went inside and had already closed the door behind her, Jughead lingered in the hallway.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead grow closer.
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter, please comment! <3
> 
> Thanks.

7.

Jughead watched as Betty and Veronica took their seats on Monday morning. Betty turned around and smiled at him as their eyes met for a brief second.

 

“So, Betty,” Veronica grinned, “Did tall, dark, and handsome up there fuck your brains out.”

 

“ _Veronica_ ,” Betty hissed, “Need I remind you that we are in class right now. What if someone overhears you?”

 

“Just giving you a hard time,” Veronica quipped, “Well, did you _at least_ kiss?”

 

“No.” Betty whispered in a hushed tone, “He was a perfect gentleman.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“He was really sweet. He held the door to his car open for me and later that night he draped his jacket over me when I got cold during the outdoor movie.”

 

“Aw, what else?”

 

“Well, halfway through it he wrapped his arm around my waist. And I don’t know, he was just, really caring.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah,” Betty smiled.

 

“Wow, he must really like you, Betty. Maybe he’s just really nervous or something.”

 

“I am, too. I don’t want to mess anything up with him.”

 

“Highly unlikely.”

 

“I did kiss him on the cheek though,” Betty grinned.

 

“Well, kiss his mouth next time!”

 

After class, Jughead walk down to where Betty was sitting as she was gathering her books.

 

“Don’t look now Betty, but Romeo is coming your way. Fill me in on the details later?” Veronica grabbed her black leather purse and headed to her next class.

 

“Hey, Betts.”

 

“Hi, Juggie.”

 

“Look, if you aren’t doing anything tomorrow night, do you want to come over and watch a movie?” Jughead felt nervous suddenly, worried that it was too soon, so to lighten the mood he added, “And you can finally meet Hot Dog.”

 

Betty giggled, “I can’t believe you named your dog that, Juggie.”

 

“Hey, I’m allowed name my dog whatever I want. I pay his vet bills. It’s my right.”

 

Betty smiled, “I would love to come over.”

 

“Great, so I’ll see you tomorrow? Oh, and I have Netflix.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Jughead cleared his throat, worried she had already gotten the wrong idea, “Yeah, I’ll cook us dinner, too. But only if you’re up for it.”

 

“And after we could… _Netflix and chill_.”

 

“Er – yes? I’ll see you tomorrow, Juliet.”

 

“Bye Juggie.”

 

Betty watched Jughead disappear down the hallway when she heard her phone buzz. It was Veronica.

 

“Well – what did he say?”

 

Betty texted her back, “He invited me over for dinner…and to watch Netflix at his apartment.” Betty watched her phone as Veronica typed her reply.

 

“Pretty sure he wants to make out with you, Betty.”

 

“STOP.”

…

 

As Betty was walking towards the Library, she heard someone shout her name from behind her.

 

“Betty, can we talk?”

 

Betty crossed her arms, “What, Archie?”

 

“It’s been a while now, Betty. I haven’t heard from you since our last date.”

 

“And you’re not going to. You kept pressuring me when I told you to stop.”

 

Look, Betty, I’m sorry. I thought you wanted to do that.”

 

“Why? Because you bought me dinner? Please, just leave me alone.”

 

“Look, let me make it up to you.”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Wait, why? Is there someone else?”

 

“Yes, Archie. As a matter of fact, there is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some studying to do before work.”

 

“Betty come one.”

 

Archie watched Betty walk off.

…

Later that night, Betty was in her pajamas sitting on her bed. She was irritated that Archie even thought it was conceivable that she would go out with him again.

 

BlueBird21: Juggie? Are you awake?

 

FP3: I am. :) How are you Betts?

 

BlueBird21: Not great. After you left, Archie found me on my way to the library and cornered me wanting to know why I hadn’t called him back.

 

Jughead gritted his teeth. He couldn’t help but feel a little irritated that his former friend was already trying to make a move on Betty again. At first, he thought it might be jealously he was feeling and he hated himself for that. He often thought of himself as above the relationship drama that plagued the majority of his peers on an almost daily basis. However, he soon realized it wasn’t just a pang of jealousy, it was more than that. Before he even knew ‘Blue Bird’ was Betty, she had told him how he had tried to pressure her into sex… _and_ groped her. Jughead felt a sense of protectiveness swell inside of him. He just hoped Archie would stay away from her permanently and not try anything further.

 

FP3: Betty, I’m so sorry. He didn’t touch you again, did he? I could punch that guy.

 

BlueBird21: No, but he was trying to get me to go out with him again.

FP3: What? After everything that happened?

 

BlueBird21: Yes :(

 

FP3: He can be dimwitted sometimes, I guess today was no exception.

 

BlueBird21: I think he got the hint, though.

 

FP3: Oh?

 

BlueBird21: Yeah, I told him to leave me alone and said some other stuff.

 

FP3: Lol. What did you tell him?

 

Betty didn’t want to say that she had told Archie there was someone else. Not yet. Jughead would know she was referring to him right away.

 

BlueBird21: He kind of acted like I was still his girlfriend or something. As if I had been waiting in the sidelines to go out with him again.

 

FP3: Wow.

 

Jughead secretly hoped that Archie wasn’t going to be a problem for the two of them, whatever they were, in the near future.

 

BlueBird21: I know! Hey, so what movie are we watching tomorrow anyways? Do I get to know or is it a surprise?

 

FP3: Do you want it to be a surprise?

BlueBird21: Kind of? I’m really excited about meeting Hot Dog and seeing your place. I can watch you talk to him. Because you’ve already told me that you do, so…

 

FP3: Wow, you’re not going to let up with that, are you?

 

BlueBird21: No, Juggie. The best part is, you told me all of it before you even knew it was me. I’m laughing so hard right now. Do you make barking noises to him, too?

 

FP3: You’re cruel, Betts. I’m hurt. You know I live alone and he’s my sole companion.

 

But Jughead wondered how long his bachelorhood was going to last. It was a fleeting thought, but he considered how much he liked Betty, wondering if she would start visiting his apartment more often.

 

BlueBird21: Kidding, Juggie. (not really). I had a lot of fun with you the other night.

 

FP3: I had fun too, Juliet.

 

Jughead remembered how nervous he had been to put his arm around her waist, but Betty didn’t brush him away, she leaned into him. As far as Jughead could tell, she had enjoyed herself.

 

BlueBird21: Except _Giant_ was kind of long…

 

FP3: That’s my fault. I should have warned you.

 

BlueBird21: It’s alright. Hey, thanks for keeping me warm. Your jacket was really soft.

 

Betty didn’t want to say that she thought _he_ was really soft. She had gently inhaled his scent during the movie, which made her feel a strange sense of longing. After he put his arm around her waist, she wanted to bury her face into his chest and kiss him.

 

FP3: No problem.

 

BlueBird21: See you tomorrow? ❤

 

FP3: Until then, Juliet. ❤

…

Before going over to Jughead’s, Betty scrambled to fix herself up. Her day had been so busy that she barely had any time to put on makeup or fix her hair. Before heading out the door, she spritzed a tiny bit of peony perfume onto her wrist. She glanced in the mirror near the door one last time and ran her fingers through her hair.

 

Jughead was in the kitchen boiling water when he heard a knock at the door. Hot Dog, who was normally half asleep, woke up immediately and sprinted to the door. As Jughead opened the door, the sight of Betty made his heart stall for a second, causing his face to turn red. He was able to cover his embarrassment, however, when Hot Dog ran towards Betty and started jumping up her legs.

 

“Come in, Betts. Stop it boy, get off of her!”

 

Betty laughed and bent down to pet Hog Dog, “So this is your dog, Juggie?”

 

Jughead shut the door behind them, “Yes, and he’s normally not like this. He likes to sleep during the day, which is why it’s never been a problem for me to leave him here while I’m at work.” Jughead shot Hot Dog a disapproving glance.

 

Betty giggled. She found Jughead’s irritated expression over his dog’s sudden hyperactivity endearing.

 

“Make yourself at home, Betts. Dinner is nearly ready.”

 

Betty looked around Jughead’s one-bedroom apartment. There was a single sofa in the living room and a chair in one corner. In the other corner, there was a giant wooden bookshelf full of hundreds of books and other various things. Betty went over to take a closer look. Her eyes darted to some of the framed pictures on the bookshelf.

 

Betty held up a frame, “Juggie, who are the people in this black and white photograph.”

 

Jughead set the pot on the stove down, looking up at her, “Oh, those are my grandparents. That’s my grandmother and the very first Forsythe.”

 

“The first?” Betty laughed, “Jug, is your name really Forsythe?”

 

“Yes, and the picture your holding happens to be the first picture my grandparents took in America.”

 

“Wait, seriously?”

 

“Yeah,” Jughead laughed, “My grandfather has a high brow name because he was disinherited when he married my grandmother. She was from a Welsh coal mining village. I guess his family thought she wasn’t good enough for him or something.”

 

“So, your grandparents are from Wales?”

 

Jughead laughed, “Yeah?”

 

“Oh, I never would have guessed that.”

 

“Well, let’s see. My last name ‘Jones’ is basically the English equivalent of ‘Smith.’ Half the population in Wales goes by that same last name, so...”

 

“I didn’t know that.”

 

“I’m just giving you a hard time, Betts.”

 

“So, is your full name really Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third?”

 

“Yes. Now let’s _never_ mention it again, okay?”

 

“ _Okay_ , Juggie,” Betty teased.

 

Betty pointed to another picture, “Is this your sister Jellybean?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Betty turned around with an inquisitive expression, “So, what’s her real name?”

 

“Forsythia.”

 

Betty started laughing uncontrollably.

 

“Betts, really…”

 

“I’m sorry,” Betty managed to choke out in-between grins, “I’ll stop now.”

Jughead smirked.

 

Towards the bottom of the shelf was a small silver frame, with the picture of a young woman in it. Betty picked it up and stared, “Ohhh…”

 

“That’s my mother.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Wow. She’s beautiful. She looks just like…”

 

“I know, Vivian Leigh. Everyone says that. I think she was about seventeen when that picture was taken.”

 

Betty took a closer look at the picture. Her eyes darted back to Jughead, who had resumed cooking. She compared the image with his. They both had pale skin and bright blue eyes. Jughead’s hair was darker, but Betty could see the resemblance. She smiled knowing where Jughead got part of his looks from.

 

Betty’s eyes also darted to several notebooks in the corner of the shelf.

 

“Jug, what are all these?” Betty reached out to touch one of the notebooks.

 

“No, Betts – wait – those are my old journals.”

 

“Oh.” Betty put the notebook back, “What’s in them? I thought your laptop _was_ your notebook, Jug?”

 

“Writing and stuff. They’re personal.”

 

Betty grinned, “So, I guess their off limits to me then?”

 

Jughead avoided her question, “Dinner’s ready.”

 

Jughead had convinced himself that he invited her over to make sure she was eating. After all, he didn’t want her stressing out. He also convinced himself that it wasn’t just because she was beautiful or because she made his heart stop when their eyes met.

 

After dinner Betty and Jughead flung their shoes off and settled down on the couch. Betty was trying to get situated when Hot Dog ran up to her and began barking. Betty spread the blanket on the couch over her and Jughead, which caused Hot Dog to whimper even louder.

 

“Stop it, boy.” Jughead attempted to ignore Hog Dog, but he continued to sit in front of Betty whimpering.

 

Betty giggled, “Juggie, maybe we should let him sit with us. He’s seems to be feeling a little jealous.

 

“Uhg.”

 

Betty picked up Hog Dog and set him on her lap, causing him to go quiet immediately.

 

“Really?” Jughead rolled his eyes at Hot Dog as Betty began to pet him.

 

Betty turned to looked at Jughead. Their eyes met again and lingered for a few seconds, “So, Juggie, what movie are we watching?”

 

“ _Metropolis_ ,” Jughead grinned, “Have you seen it?”

 

“No.”

 

“It’s a sci-fi film from the twenties.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Is sci-fi not your thing, Betts? Because if not, we can change the movie.”

 

“No, that’s okay. I want to watch it. If you picked it out, it will probably be worth the view. I know what a movie buff you are, Jug.”

 

After Jughead started the movie, the two of them settled into the couch. Hot Dog didn’t last long on the couch. After several minutes, he got up from Betty’s lap and hoped back onto the floor, curling up into a ball in the corner. The pair was quiet as the movie began to play. Betty watched Jughead’s silhouette out of the corner of her eye. He was taking in slow, gentle breaths, as his chest heaved up and down.

 

Betty turned to him, “Juggie.”

 

“What is it, Betts?” Jughead’s voice had sounded breathier than he intended, “Are you cold? Because if you are I have another blanket I can grab for us.”

 

“No,” Betty reached out, grazing his arm with her fingers. She started to clear her throat, “Is this a long movie?”

 

“Yes. I think it’s at least three hours.”

 

Jughead felt like he wanted to pull Betty onto him and kiss her, but held back. He remembered how she had felt when Archie had pressured her. He didn’t want to be that guy with her, ever.

 

“ _Oh_.”

 

“Betts, you okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Betty smiled, “That’s great, actually. Betty moved closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. She reached towards his hand, lacing his fingers through her own.

 

As they continued watching the movie, Jughead looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled.

…

 

On Thursday, Betty and Veronica met at the gym on campus.

 

“So, Betty, I’m sure you have a lot to tell me?” Veronica teased, “Hard and fast or…”

 

Betty’s voice dropped, “It’s not like _that_.”

 

“So, you guys didn’t even fool around?”

 

“No. He was such a gentleman. He made me dinner and I got to look around his apartment, which was very tidy by the way. He had all these interesting stories to tell me about his family, too. I played with his dog and we watched a movie. We sort of cuddled. I leaned into him and held his hand.”

 

“Wait, he can cook?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“How did you not want to bang him right there on the kitchen counter?”

 

“Really?” Betty rolled her eyes at such a suggestion.

 

“Betty, can I ask you something?”

 

“Sure. You’re tone got kind of serious all of a sudden, even for you.”

 

“Do you feel really anxious before you see him, like you can’t breathe?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And when you finally see him, you feel like you can let whatever phantom breathe you’ve been holding in since the last time you saw him out?”

 

“Sometimes. Why?”

 

“It sounds like you might be falling in love with him, Betty.”

 

“Veronica.”

 

“I’m serious. I haven’t really seen you like this with a guy before, Betty. And I’ve known you a long time.”

 

“Come on Veronica. What, are you going to do, make another sex joke now?” Betty rolled her eyes, “It’s kind of hard to take you seriously sometimes.”

 

“Just making an observation, Betty. Although I’m sure you wouldn’t mind kissing him, am I right?”

 

Betty didn’t say anything. Instead, she proceeded to turn bright red.

 

In response, Veronica gave Betty a knowing grin.

…

 

After Betty showered, she grabbed a coffee and headed to her shift at work. Once she got off, she rushed to her car, thinking that maybe if she walked fast enough, she could get home a few minutes sooner and send Jughead a couple of messages. When she was finally home, she threw her belongings onto the couch and headed straight to her desk.

 

BlueBird21: Hi Juggie :)

 

FP3: Well if it isn’t my internet bestie. How was your day at work?

 

BlueBird21: Slow as you might imagine. Gallery life is not for those in a hurry. How was your day?

 

FP3: Not bad. Hey, Hot Dog is whimpering at my side right now. I think he can tell I’m talking to you.

 

BlueBird21: Seriously?

 

FP3: Yeah, lol.

 

BlueBird21: Juggie, can you hold on for five minutes? I left something in my car.

 

FP3: Of course. Where would I go? :)

 

As Betty walked down her front steps towards her car, she noticed something wasn’t right, “Oh, no.” Upon further inspection, Betty noticed that her car had been broken into. Someone had smashed all the windows. Glass was littered all over the pavement and along the inside of the car. There was a trickle of blood on the front seat. Betty started to panic. She pulled out her phone and dialed the police.

 

About an hour later, they had run a report and a tow truck had picked up her car. Betty wondered what she was going to do now. She began to clench her fists slightly as she walked back inside her apartment. She exhaled deeply and sat down at her computer. She had already missed several messages from Jughead.

 

FP3: You there?

 

FP3: Everything okay?

 

BlueBird21: Jug, can I call you?

 

FP3: Now? Of course. Everything alright?

 

Betty dialed his number.

 

“Jug.”

 

“Betts, what is it?”

 

Betty started to cry, “Someone broke into my car and left blood in the front seat. I had to call the police and a tow truck already took my car into the shop.”

 

“Oh no. Someone probably broke the front window by balling up their fist. Geez Betty, are you okay?” Jughead heard muffled sounds on the other end of the line.

 

“I don’t know, I mean, how am I going to get to work now?”

 

“Deep breaths, Betts. I can take you or we can get you a rental care.”

 

“Jug, I don’t feel well.” Betty’s breathing grew sporadic.

 

“Betty, you’ve got to calm down. Listen, I can be there in half an hour.”

 

“You can?”

 

Unsure of what he was saying or the implication, Jughead went ahead and decided to ask Betty to stay with him.

 

“Yes. Look, I know this isn’t the first time you’ve had trouble where your living. Frankly, I’m surprised they don’t have better security at your apartment complex after the first break-in.” Jughead paused, “Look, why don’t you come stay with me for a few nights. That will give you some time to sort out your car situation.”

 

“Jug, I can’t think straight,” Betty was still crying quietly.

 

“I’ll be right over. Look, don’t move, alright?”

 

“Alright. Wait, Jug?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Anything for you, Betts.”

…

When Jughead pulled up to Betty’s apartment, she was already waiting for him outside. He could tell that her car getting broken into had caused her anxiety to resurface. Betty got into his car and shut the door behind her.

 

Betty turned to look at him, “Thanks for coming to get me, Jug.”

 

Jughead put his hand on her shoulder for the briefest of moments as Betty let out a sigh of relief.

 

“No problem – hey - I figured you would have called Veronica first. Jughead put his hand up to his chest and smiled at her, “I’m flattered.”

 

Betty laughed, “No, I thought of you first.”

…

After they entered his apartment, Hot Dog rushed up to Betty and let out two loud barks. Betty set her bag and purse on the ground.

 

“Hi Hot Dog! Wow, Juggie, he’s really happy to see me.”

 

“More like he’s craving attention, Betts. Just ignore him.”

 

“Can we take him for a walk, Jug? I could really use the fresh air.”

 

“Sure,” Jughead grinned.

…

After they got back from the walk, Jughead let hot dog off his lease. He went to his bed in the corner and laid down.

 

“I think we tired him out, Jug.” Betty grinned.

 

“He’s had quite enough attention for one night. Hey, so, I didn’t anticipate you were coming. I have soup, but that’s about it.”

 

“Soup is great. Do you mind if I shower first?”

 

“Oh,” Jughead could feel himself turning bright red, “No problem. I keep towels in the closet next to the bathroom.”

 

“Great.” Betty stared rummaging through her duffle bag. She soon realized that she had left her pajamas at home, “Whoops, um, Jug?”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I wasn’t thinking straight earlier. I kind of…left my pajamas at home.”

 

Jughead grinned, “Come on.”

 

As he opened the door to her bedroom, Betty noted how tidy his room was. There was a nice wooden desk in the corner and another large bookshelf filled with hundreds of books.

 

“Are you planning on running a library one day?”

 

Jughead smirked, “Very funny.” He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a grey shirt with an “S” logo, some white socks, and plaid shorts, “I hope these are okay, Betts.”

 

“Thanks, Juggie.”

 

“I’ll be in the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything else, alright?”

 

Hearing the tenderness in his voice enveloped Betty in a sense of comfort. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was in his room, or because of what had transpired earlier that night. Either way, she felt like she wanted to be closer to him suddenly.

 

As Jughead turned to leave, Betty caught his arm, “Jug.”

 

Jughead looked down at her hand and then up to her face.

 

Betty moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck, “Thanks.”

 

Jughead sighed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and inhaled her scent, “You’re welcome, Betts.”

 

The pair pulled away slowly and she smiled at him.

 

“See you in a few.”

…

While Betty was showering Jughead was staring at the tomato soup boiling on the stove. He was thinking about how it felt to hug her. About twenty minutes later, Betty emerged from his shower. Her hair was wrapped into a wet bun. Jughead’s eyes darted over to her, travelling up her body. The sight of Betty wearing his pajamas made him feel strangely aroused. He felt guilty about this, so he averted his eyes. After they finished eating, Betty curled up on the couch next to him.

 

“I know it’s getting kind of late. Are you tired?”

 

“Yeah,” Betty laughed.

 

“Okay, let me just grab a comforter really quickly. My room is all yours.”

 

Betty turned to him and caught his hand in hers, “Jug, you don’t have to sleep on the couch. This is your house.”

 

“Of course I am Betts. You can take my room. The bed is more comfortable anyways.” Jughead held his hand in hers.

 

“Are you sure?” Betty whispered.

 

“Yeah, it’s not a problem.”

 

Betty leaned over and kissed his cheek, which caused Jughead to catch his breath.

 

“Night, Juggie.”

 

After Betty went to lay down in his room, Jughead was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling smiling. A funny feeling had made its way into the pit of his stomach.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos, they mean so much to me. <3 Sorry for the delay in posting, life has gotten really busy for me lately. And it takes a long time to write these chapters (surprisingly)! 
> 
> I love this chapter, I hope you do, too.
> 
> Please comment! I would love to know what you thought. Thanks!

8.

When Betty woke up in the morning she remembered where she was and smiled. She got out of bed slowly and opened the bedroom door. Sensing movement from the bedroom, Hot Dog came running up to the door immediately. She was quiet as she shut the door behind her. When she walked out in the living room she found Jughead fast asleep on the couch. He was sleeping shirtless in plaid pajama bottoms. She decided the couch didn’t look very comfortable. Betty leaned in to move a strand of stray hair out of his face, but he was unaffected by her touch and remained asleep. She let her eyes trail down his chest for a minute, deciding that she liked what she saw. Hot Dog started climbing on her leg, begging for attention.

 

“ _Shhh_ , you’ll wake Juggie up.”

 

As Betty went back to her room to change, Hot Dog ran after her. On the way out, Betty grabbed Hot Dog’s lease, making him go wild at the possibility of a morning walk. She hooked it onto his collar and shut the apartment door behind her.

 

Betty had been walking for about fifteen minutes when she came back to the front of the café that Jughead had taken her; she wondered if she should consider it their spot because it was the very first place he took her. She hooked Hot Dog’s leash onto the metal chair outside and went in. As she approached the counter, the same man that Jughead had talked to before greeted her. Betty noticed his slight accent.

 

“Well, hello. What can I get you?”

 

“Hi,” Betty smiled and paused, “Um, I’ve only been here once before with my friend Jughead. What do you have for breakfast?”

 

“Ah,” the man chuckled, “That boy sure knows how to eat.”

 

Betty grinned.

 

“Might I recommend the quiches?”

 

“That sounds delicious, two please. Oh, and do you have coffee to go?”

 

The man pointed to a chalkboard with cursive writing on it, “We have everything, not just _coffee_.”

 

“Wow, okay,” Betty glanced over the menu for a second, “I’ll take a cappuccino, no, make that two.”

 

The man cleared his throat, “You’re friend usually orders three shots of expresso.”

 

“What!” Betty laughed, “That’s too much caffeine.”

 

“ _I know_ …” The man’s eyes widened.

 

“Alright, one cappuccino and three shots of expresso to go then.”

 

“Coming right up.”

 

After Betty paid for her order, she waved goodbye to the man behind the counter and walked out the door. Hot Dog had been laying down, but got up again when he saw her exit the café.

 

“Ready to see Juggie, boy?” Betty leaned down to pet him as they headed back to Jughead’s apartment, “Come on.”

 

When Betty opened the door to Jughead’s apartment, he was sitting on the couch rubbing his eyes.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey Jug.”

 

“I was about to call the police. Someone stole my dog,” Jughead grinned.

 

“Hot Dog and I went to get you breakfast.”

 

“Wow, really?” Jughead laughed.

 

Betty handed him the bag and his expresso, “Here, the man working there said this was your favorite.”

 

Jughead smiled, “You went back there?”

 

“Yeah, it was delicious.”

 

“This is just what I needed, thanks Betts.”

 

The pair sat down on the couch to eat breakfast.

 

“Hey, do you want to come with me to work today after we are done with classes? Or you could stay here. It’s up to you.”

 

“I have to go into work for a couple of hours today, but after that I can hail a cab and come hangout at your work until you’re done. I’ll just bring my laptop and do homework.”

 

Suddenly, Betty’s phone went off.

 

“One sec, Jug.” Betty put her phone to her ear, “Yes, this is she.” Betty paused for a moment to listen, “Oh, okay. Yes, I understand. Is that because all of the windows were smashed in?”

 

Jughead’s ears perked up. He assumed that her car was still in a state of disrepair. And he wasn’t going to object if it took them a while to repair her car. After all, she could just continue staying with him; he was secretly hoping that she could stay a few more days anyways. Jughead listened to what sounded like the mechanic apologizing to her on the other end. Not wanting to appear too eager, Jughead ate his breakfast patiently and waited for Betty to get off the phone.

 

“Thanks. And yeah, it’s not a problem.”

 

Betty put down her phone and sighed as she turned to Jughead, “They said my car is going to be in the shop for almost ten days.”

 

“Geez, Betty, that sucks.”

 

“Yeah, but it’s not all that bad.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Because my apartment complex is shitty. And since you rescued me, I get to stay here with you and Hot Dog.”

 

Hot Dog responded to his name and ran over to her. Betty smiled at Jughead as she bent down to pet Hog Dog.

…

Jughead and Betty held hands as they walked to class together. The pair parted ways before entering the classroom as Jughead explained to her that he liked to sit in the back to avoid getting called on. Betty laughed and squeezed his hand as the two took their usual seats.

 

When Veronica got to class, she sat down and turned to Betty.

 

“Hey stranger, where have you been? I haven’t heard from you at all.”

 

“Veronica,” Betty whispered, “Someone broke into my car the other night and smashed in the windows.”

 

“Seriously?! Are you okay, Betty?”

 

“Yeah, but I got upset when it happened, so I called Jughead.” Betty smiled, I’m staying with him at his apartment. He came and picked me up. Isn’t that so nice of him?”

 

“Hold up,” Veronica held her hand out, “You’re staying _at_ his apartment.”

 

“Yeah,” Betty grinned, tilting her head to the side.

 

“Have you guys kissed yet?”

 

“Well, no. I mean, I want to. I think he’s holding back or something.”

 

“What!” Veronica’s eyes widened, “You’re spending the night at his apartment, but you haven’t even kissed.”

 

“No.”

 

“You guys are like the most adorable virgins I’ve ever heard of, Betty.”

 

“ _Stop_.” Betty sounded a little annoyed, but smiled anyways.

 

“Are you sleeping in his bed?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“ _With_ him?”

 

“Well, no. He offered me his bed and slept on the couch last night.”

 

“Betty,” Veronica grabbed her arm, “He must really like you. And I’m not just saying this. He probably wants you to make the first move on him. Especially _if_ he’s being such a gentleman.”

 

“Do you think so?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Well, I do. What did you two talk about online? Did he tell you anything else about his dating expectations?”

 

Betty thought about it for a moment, “He said that the girl should make the first move. But Veronica, I think he only said that because of what happened with Archie and I.”

 

“You told him about that?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So, he’s thoughtful and considerate? He sounds like a keeper, Betty. Do you _want_ him to be your boyfriend?”

 

“ _Yes_ ,” Betty managed an inaudible whisper, “So badly. I _really_ like him.”

 

Veronica turned to Betty, lowering her voice, “You two are taking things slow obviously. No guy invites a girl over to spend the night if he doesn’t like her, Betty. And I guess I can kind of see why. You have something so unique. I’d kill to have a guy like me that I had shared so much with. And I don’t think it’s _just_ physical for him either because he was there for you when you needed him. You already know a lot about each other from your online correspondence, which lasted how many months? You’re so fucking lucky, Betty. And that’s all I’m going to say for now…” Veronica grinned and opened her textbook.

…

Later that day, Jughead was still at work when Betty’s shift ended. The cab dropped off in front of the coffee shop. This didn’t go unnoticed by Dilton, who started to say something; however, Jughead shot him a look, which shut him up fast.

 

Jughead went over to the table where Betty was sitting.

 

“Hey, I’ll be off in an hour. Do you want anything?”

 

“No, thanks Juggie.”

 

Jughead smiled at her and turned to resume his spot behind the counter. Meanwhile, Betty took this opportunity to watch him at work from behind her laptop. She decided that she liked how attentive he was to her. In between studying, she would look up at him from her computer. As he was lifting something onto a high shelf, Betty caught a glimpse of his toned midriff and blushed.

 

After an hour, Jughead hung up his apron and walked toward Betty.

 

“Shifts all done.”

 

“Great,” Betty started packing up her things.

 

“Um, Betts, do you want to go with me somewhere?”

 

Betty smiled eagerly, “Where?”

 

“It’s a surprise.”

 

Jughead grabbed her hand.

…

“We’ve been walking for a while now. Care to tell me where we’re going?”

 

“Almost there,” They rounded another corner and crossed the street.

 

“How much longer?”

 

“Someone’s impatient today.”

 

“Juggie!”

 

“And here we are. I take it you were the type of kid that parents couldn’t take on a road trip without either parent going insane.”

 

“Jug!”

 

“Kidding, Betts. Come on.”

 

Betty followed Jughead into what appeared to be a used bookstore.

 

“Jug, is this the place you were always telling me about?”

 

“Yeah,” have you been here before?”

 

“No,” Betty followed him into the store, “Oh wow.”

 

Betty starred in disbelief. From the outside, the store didn’t look large at all. The inside, however, was a different story. There were rows and rows of books that went on for miles; the ceiling itself looked about eight feet high. Betty turned to Jughead and smiled at him. She watched as his face lit up. He usually wore a more solemn expression on his face, but not here. And not with her. Betty grinned hoping that maybe part of him was smiling because she was with him, too.

 

As the pair wondered around the store, Betty started pulling books off the shelves. She checked the date on a book that was marked seventeen dollars. The inside said it was printed in 1919.

 

“Hey, Juggie, check this out.”

 

“I know. They have so many things here.”

 

“Can you believe it’s only seventeen dollars?”

 

Jughead grinned, “So, you’re having a good time then, Nancy Drew?”

 

Betty grinned and continued to look at other books. She found Jughead in the corner of the store.

 

“Hey, what do you have there?”

 

Jughead moved the book away from her as if to hide it, “Don’t be so nosey, Betts.”

 

“Come on, let me see!” Betty started to tickle him.

 

“Betty!”

 

“Fine, have it your way then.” Betty stuck her tongue at him and continued walking around the store.

 

After Jughead paid for his books, he found Betty at the back of the store.

 

“Wow. You already paid for yours? You did that on purpose just so I couldn’t see what you bought didn’t you?” Betty gave him a playful whack.

 

“Yes?” Jughead grinned.

 

“Well in that case, you don’t get to see what I’m buying.”

 

“Okay, have it your way. I’ll be wait outside then, Juliet.”

 

Betty found Jughead waiting for her outside. She smiled and put the book behind her back.

 

“So, are you going to show me all of your favorite hideouts, Jug?”

 

Jughead moved towards her, “ _Yes_.”

 

“ _What?_ ” Betty looked at him.

 

Suddenly Jughead’s expression grew serious as he looked at her. They were standing really close together, their faces only inches apart. Jughead sighed as he put his hand on Betty’s face. Then, without warning, a car drove past them, flinging dirty water from the street all over their bottom halves.

 

Betty flung her arms out as Jughead looked down at his pants.

 

“I feel like our evening has ended prematurely, Betts.”

 

“Who do you think I am, Jug, Veronica?”

 

Jughead laughed, “No, but your jeans are pretty wet, Betts. I was thinking of taking us somewhere to eat. Shall we call it a night instead?”

 

“No way!”

 

Jughead grinned.

 

“Wait,” Betty conceded, “Okay, so this is kind of uncomfortable. Can we get food to go?”

 

“Come on.” Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand as he held his books in the other.

 

Betty waited as Jughead hastily placed a to-go order. Then, the pair effectively sped walked to his car. When they got back to Jughead’s apartment, Hot Dog woke up from his slumber and ran up to Jughead.

 

“Hey boy, you’ll have to wait one second. Betts and I got caught in the crosshairs of a New York taxi cab and its dirty tires.”

 

Betty giggled, “I’ve been waiting for you to anthropomorphize Hot Dog, Juggie. Do you think he feels sorry for us?”

 

Jughead smirked at her as he left his belongings on the table and walked over to the washing machine.

 

“I’ll feed him, Jug.” Betty went into the kitchen to grab Hot Dog’s food. As she poured it into a bowel, she watched as Jughead flung his shirt off an into the washer. Betty blushed as she noticed the light trail of hair on his abs that ran above his waist. Betty got up and walked over to him.

 

“Jug, you’re not going to pretreat your shirt?” Betty looked at him as her eyes wandered downwards for a split second. Jughead blushed and pulled the shirt out of the washer, “How about I do a load of laundry for us, Jug? You’re letting me stay here, it’s the least I can do. Why don’t you go take a quick shower and I’ll run a quick load. ”

 

“It’s alright, Betts. You don’t have to do that.”

 

“I want to,” Betty pulled off her cardigan and flung it into the wash.

 

Jughead stared at her for two seconds, then averted his gaze. She was wearing a light blue tank, which left little to the imagination. He also registered that she wasn’t wearing a bra and hated himself for noticing that. Sometimes he forgot how pretty she was and her little touches would remind him as his eyes darted to places they shouldn’t. He spoke up quickly, hoping that she hasn’t noticed him staring.

 

“Alright, five minutes.”

 

“It’s okay Juggie, take your time. I’m sure Hot Dog can tell me all about what it’s like to live in New York.

 

“Are you going to stop giving me a hard time about that?” Jughead chortled.

 

“ _Maybe_.”

 

After Jughead got out of the shower, he and Betty sat down at the table to eat dinner. Hot Dog put his paws on Betty’s lap and whimpered.

 

“I think he wants some of my food, Jug.”

 

“Of course he does.” Jughead rolled his eyes and grinned.

 

Betty gave Hot Dog the last few bites of her burger and got up to take a shower.

 

“Betts, you’ve got to stop spoiling him. He’ll get too used to it and want more.”

 

“I’m glad he likes me.” Betty reached over the table and grabbed one of Jughead’s french fries and flung it into Hot Dog’s mouth, “Hot Dog thinks I’m part of the family, don’t you boy?” Betty reached down and blew in Hot Dog’s face, watching as his eyes were uncovered from their hooding of fluff for a brief second.

 

“If he acts up later, I blame you.”

 

Jughead watched Betty disappear into the bathroom. He was thinking about what she said. His stomach had done a somersault when she had referred to the two of them as “family.”

…

Later, Betty stepped out of the bathroom, still wearing Jughead’s pajamas. She noticed he had lit a small fire in the fireplace.

 

“Wow, Jug. This looks so cozy.”

 

“I thought you could use a fire after being struck by a pound of dirty water.”

 

“You thought right _Forsythe_.”

 

Jughead frowned at the use of his real name.

 

“So, what are we doing now, Jug?” Betty walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and plopped him down on the living room couch next to her.

 

“Tea?”

 

“That would be great, thanks.”

 

As Jughead was filling two mugs he turned to see Betty reaching in his bag from the bookstore, “Oh, no you don’t!” Jughead rushed over to her and snatched her hands away from his bag.

 

“What are you hiding in their Juggie, a Kama Sutra book?”

 

Horrified, Jughead turned to her, his face a little red, “No! And why would you ask such a thing, Betty?”

 

“I don’t really know what _that_ is, to be honest. Veronica was going on about it last week. I tune most of her uncouth conversations out.”

 

“Well don’t mention that again, Betts.” Jughead was sure he had turned three shades of pink by now.

 

“I have an idea,” Betty thought now would be a good time to move closer to Jughead. She turned her body and laid her head down in his lap in an instant. Jughead was so startled that he didn’t have time to respond to her. Betty looked up at him, “What if…we both trade each other’s bags to see what we each bought.”

 

Jughead grinned as he looked down at her, “Okay.”

 

Betty sat up, “Here.” She handed her bag to Jughead. He went to grab his and handed it to her.

 

“Okay, on the count of three.”

 

Jughead smirked.

 

“Go.”

 

Betty managed to get to the contents of his bag faster and practically tore the bag, which elicited laughter from Jughead as he pulled her book out of her bag.

 

“Really, Betts? I was just giving you a hard time earlier. What did you think I bought anyways?!”

 

“Oh,” Betty’s eyes grew wider, “ _The Moon-Spinners_ by Mary Stewart and a book of poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”

 

Jughead grinned as he opened her bag, “ _The Mabinogion_. Betts, you bought a book of Welsh fairytales?” Jughead started to laugh.

 

“Give me that!” Betty grabbed the book out of his hand and placed it beside her. She held up his book, “What’s this about, Juggie?”

 

“Do you know it?”

 

“Never heard of it. But I know the other one, ‘ _How do I love thee, let me count the ways_.’ Betty grinned and watched a smile spread across Jughead’s face, “What? I paid attention in class.”

 

“Well, the other one is sort of a mix between a suspense novel and a romance. It takes place in the hills of Greece. A young woman goes exploring and finds an Englishman hiding out in the hills tending to a bullet wound.”

 

Betty looked at the book and then looked up at Jughead, “Read it to me?”

 

“What?”

 

Betty put a pillow behind her head and rested on his lap again, “Please Juggie.” Betty reached down to grab his hand.

 

Jughead grinned, “Fine, but only two chapters, Betts.”

 

“It was the egret, flying out of the lemon grove that started it. I won’t pretend I saw it straight away as the conventional herald of adventure, the white-stag of the fairy tale, which, bounding from the enchanted thicket, entices the prince away…”

 

Betty watched Jughead’s eyes as he began reading. Then she looked at his lips. She started to feel really safe lying there with him. Safe, comfortable, homey even. The words were cascading off the page and out of Jughead’s mouth. She angled her body so that she was a little closer to him. The softness of the pillow on her head made her feel sleepy as she took his words in. After a while, Betty shut her eyes…

 

“Betts,” Jughead looked down and grinned, “You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”

 

Betty’s eyes opened momentarily, “What? No Jug, keep going.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Jughead was in the middle of the second chapter when he heard light breathing below the book. Jughead looked down again to find Betty fast asleep on his lap. He sighed and bent the page of the book, setting it beside him. He looked down at her as she was sleeping and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face as he whispered, “ _I think I love you, Betty_.”

 

Still asleep, Jughead picked Betty up and carried her to his room and laid her down gently in his bed. He pulled the comforter over her and shut the door behind him. Jughead turned out the lights in the hallway and went to lay down on the couch. Hot Dog stirred from his nap and hopped onto the end of the couch to join him.

…

Around 2:00 am, Jughead was woken up by a gentle crying noise at the end of the hallway.

 

“Betty?” Jughead didn’t hear a response back. He got up from the coach and walked towards the door of his bedroom. He heard the sound again and put his hand on the door, “Betts, are you okay?” Jughead wondered if she was having a bad dream, “I’ll be right outside if you need me, alright.” Jughead sat down and laid his head in the corner of the door, waiting for the sounds to dissipate. After about twenty minutes, he shut his eyes.

…

Betty woke up in the early morning and wondered how she had gotten in Jughead’s room. She grinned, wondering if he had carried her. She also vaguely recalled having a bad dream at some point early in the morning; however, she couldn’t remember what it was about. She put her feet onto the floor and went to open the bedroom door. As she did so, she was startled when she looked down to find Jughead sleeping in the corner of the door, hair completely disheveled. Betty stares at him in disbelief, wondering if he slept there all night because of her. She’s felt giddy at the thought.

 

“Hey,” Jughead ran hand through his messy hair and rubs his sleepy eyelids, “You were crying in your sleep last night. I was worried.”

 

He gets up slowly from the corner of the door, but Betty doesn’t hesitate. She pushes his chest against the wall as her other hand cups his face. She kisses him hard. Still sleepy, Jughead doesn’t say anything for a moment, but slowly registers what’s happening. He smiles as their lips break apart. Betty kisses him again, only this time he’s kissing her back. Jughead breaks the kiss briefly, rubbing his thumbs against her face grinning. She smiles and starts peppering kisses all over his face, nose first, then forehead, until she finally puts her lips back on his. Jughead holds her waist, savoring the feel of her lips on his.

 

“Jug,” Betty is still kissing him in between her words, “Why didn’t you kiss me sooner?”

 

Jughead’s response is stalled by Betty’s continual kisses, “I was,” Betty kisses him again, “waiting,” she kisses him again, “for you to make the first move.” He leans down to kiss her again.

 

Jughead looks at her as he trails his thumb onto her face, “Betts, I don’t want you to ever feel pressured or rushed into anything, _ever._ I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re not safe with me.”

 

Betty wraps her arms around his neck. His hands move to the back of her neck to hold her there for a little while. He lets out a sigh against her neck. And in that instant, Betty feels the safest she’s felt in a long time as she lets herself rest against him.

…

As the pair walks to school, Betty plants a light kiss at the corner of Jughead’s mouth before he goes into the classroom. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Veronica, who is not far behind them.

 

Veronica picks up her pace, latte in hand, just before Betty walks into the classroom. She grabs Betty’s arm, “ _Betty_.”

 

Betty whips around with a grin on her face.

 

“Oh my god, did you guys finally kiss?”

 

Betty claps her hands together, “Veronica, Jughead did the sweetest thing for me last night. When we got back home he read me a story on the couch and I ended up falling asleep in his lap. I think he carried me to my bedroom and put me to bed. Then, when I woke up this morning I found him sleeping in the corner of the door. I guess I was having a nightmare last night because he said he heard me and talked to me through the door. And I don’t know Veronica, I was just so overwhelmed that I started kissing him right then and there.”

 

“Oh my god, Betty. Swoon. You guys should totally have sex tonight!”

 

“ _Veronica_.” Betty turned red at the suggestion.

 

“Kidding girl. I just love to see you flinch.” Veronica grinned, “But seriously, he has to be in love with you. There’s no doubt in my mind now. Did he even try to come into the room last night?”

 

“No, not once. He slept outside all night.”

 

“That’s the most chivalrous thing I’ve ever heard. How was he at kissing?”

 

Betty’s face turned Scarlett.

 

“Oh my, no words necessary, huh?” Veronica smiled as she looked at Betty’s red face, “Come on, Juliet,” Veronica grabbed her arm, “We’re going to be late for class.”

…

Later that evening, Betty and Jughead were leaving the campus library and heading to his car to go home. As they kept walking, the pair heard a man’s voice behind them. They turned around to find Archie Andrews standing in front of them with his friend Reggie smirking close behind him. Jughead and Archie’s eyes met for a brief second.

 

“What the hell are you doing with Betty, Jughead?”

 

Not put off by Archie’s attempt to intimidate him, Jughead stepped forward and looked him straight in the eye, “Archie, _dude_ , Betty is not your property and definitely _not_ your girlfriend.”

 

Archie looked at Betty incredulously, “Betty? I thought we had gone out a few times, what gives?”

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “I already told you that I was done with you Archie. Why can’t you take a hint?”

 

“Fine, if you want to slum it with Jughead here, Betty, go ahead.”

 

“I’m not slumming it with Jughead, Archie.” Betty reached out and grabbed Jughead’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers.

 

“I think it would be best if you just walked away, Archie.”

 

“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do, Jughead?”

 

“Seriously man, take a fucking hint.”

 

“Man, whatever,” Archie looked over at Reggie, “Let’s go.”

 

As the two disappeared, Jughead turned to Betty.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Betty smiled.

 

“Man, that guys ego is like ten feet high. He can’t even take a hint.”

 

Betty laughed, “Hey Juggie?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I don’t think I’m slumming it with you.”

 

“Don’t worry about what he says, Betts.”

 

“I don’t, but I just wanted you to know that.” Jughead grinned as Betty leaned in to kiss him.

 

Jughead broke apart from the kiss, “Come on, we better go home and feed Hot Dog.”

…

Later that evening, Betty and Jughead were curled up on the couch again.

 

“So, are we going to do this every night, Jug?”

 

“Watch movies and read books? Hell yeah. Unless – you want to do something else?”

 

Betty shook her head, “No, this is great!” She draped her legs over his lap as he pulled her closer to him.

…

When Betty was ready for bed, she went out into the living room to find Jughead settling onto the couch.

 

“Hey, Jug?”

 

“Hey.”

 

“Um,” Betty grabbed her elbow and shifted her arms, “Would you – um - you want to sleep next to me?”

 

Jughead paused, “Are you sure?”

 

“Really, it’s no problem and it might be more comfortable than the couch.”

 

Jughead hesitated.

 

“ _And_ you could read me the rest of that book you know.”

 

“But you’ll fall asleep.”

 

Betty grinned as she grabbed his hands. After they had settled into the bed, Betty turned to lay her face onto Jughead’s chest, “Is this okay Jug?”

 

“Of course. What chapter do you actually remember me reading to you?”

 

“One?”

 

“Ha-ha, alright. I’ll start on two again.”

 

“Wait.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Betty leaned in to kiss him again, “There, that’s better.”

 

As Jughead began to read to her, they heard scratching and wailing at the door.

 

“We should probably let him sleep with us, Jug. Don’t you think?”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes and grinned, “Alright.” As he opened his bedroom door, Hot Dog jumped right on the bed and sat on both of them, “You asked for this, Betts.”

…

As the days past, Jughead started to get used to sleeping with Betty beside him. He usually woke up with her pressed firmly against his neck. He tried not to move too much. Instead, he would just let her lie there, watching her sleep.

…

On Jughead’s day off he let Betty take his car to work. He texted her in the middle of the day.

 

“Surprise for you at home. See you tonight.”

 

“What is it??”

 

“Not telling.”

 

When she got home that evening, Hot Dog ran up to her and jumped on her leg expectantly. Jughead was standing at the door.

 

“You know he’s like that now because of all the walks you take him on.”

 

Betty grinned, “I know, I think he really likes me. Don’t you, boy?”

 

“You’ve spoiled him. Come into the living room, Betts.” Jughead grabbed her hand.

 

When Betty walked into the living room she put her hand to her mouth and gasped, “What is this Juggie?”

 

“It’s our very own tent. You were always rambling about those ‘aspirational’ Pinterest boards when we talked online, so I got a few ideas and made us a tent for this weekend.”

 

Betty giggled.

 

“Alright, so it’s really just several sheets draped around, but take a step closer and you’ll see what’s hiding inside.”

 

As Betty did she noticed Jughead had put marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate in the tent, “ _Eeeeee!_ Jug, can we have a fire?”

 

“Of course. It will be like our movie marathons, _but_ …”

 

Betty didn’t let him finish his sentence. She grabbed his hand and kissed him, “Alright, let me just put on my pajamas.”

 

Betty and Jughead snuggled in the tent as he put pillows behind their heads. Jughead turned the tv on as the two of them started digging into the snacks.

 

“Thanks for this Jug.”

 

Jughead grinned and took a bite of his smores. Betty looked at him and started to laugh.

 

What? Do I have something on my face?”

 

Betty moved her face towards his.

 

“Betty?”

 

Betty angled her face to his as if to kiss him, but then stuck her tongue out and lightly licked his face. Jughead breathed in, a bit surprised from the contact.

 

“What?” You have chocolate all over your face, Jug.”

 

“Do I really?”

 

Betty handed him a napkin.

 

“Oh.”

 

Later that evening, Betty was laying on Jughead’s chest as they watched an old black and white movie. Jughead put his arm around her and reached out to grab her other hand. As he did so, Betty flinched at the contact.

 

“Betty?” Jughead saw red spots on her palm and pulled it closer to him to get a better look.

 

Betty sat up nervously.

 

Jughead’s face grew concerned, “Betty, there are little sores on your palm. Are you okay?”

 

She looked down.

 

“What is it?”

 

She looked up at him again, worried about what he might think, “Those are,” Betty paused, “Those are from me digging my nails into my skin when I’m nervous.”

 

Jughead looked at the little scars. He traced his finger on her palm. Then, he cupped her hands into his and brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. When his lips broke contact with her palms, Betty leaned in to kiss him. When she pulled away, their lips stuck together for another second.

 

“Betty, this worries me. I know it’s from your anxiety. Promise me you’ll calm yourself down. Please?”

 

“I am,” Betty smiled, “They are mostly healed up since I’ve been staying here _with you_.”

 

“So they are,” Jughead smiled. He put his hand on her face and leaned in to kiss her.

…

The next morning, Betty woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She got up to answer the call, which woke Jughead up, who was asleep next to her and covered in blankets.

 

“Oh, so it’s ready? Alright. Thank you.”

 

Jughead ran a hand through his hair. He stood up when he heard Betty talking on the phone and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pajama buttons. He hoped this didn’t mean she had to leave. He wasn’t ready for that and he had decided to tell her as much when she ended the conversation.

 

“Hey, Betts. Who was that?”

 

“That was the garage. They said my car is ready to be picked up.”

 

“ _Oh_.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Jughead grabbed Betty’s waist and pulled her into him, “What if I don’t want you to leave?”

 

“You don’t?”

 

Jughead cradled her head in his hands, “No.”

 

Betty closed her eyes and whispered, “So, the other night, what you said to Archie…” Betty didn’t finish her sentence because Jughead had grabbed her. He kissed her as he pulled her back into the tent and threw the comforter over both of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. Your comments give me life and inspire me to keep writing. :)
> 
> Thank you for all of your previous comments and kudos -   
> they really meant a lot to me. <3

9.

Betty had wanted to stay at Jughead’s apartment indefinitely. But there were bills to pay. And Betty was almost certain that she had left food in the fridge that needed to be tossed. Despite Jughead’s wonderful ministrations, she told him that she had to return home. She promised that it would only be for a few days, but a few days had turned into a week. She also found that she wasn’t sleeping well again, probably from her anxiety, but Betty knew better. She missed the dark-haired boy’s touches and his gentle smile.

 

FP3: :(

 

BlueBird21: Hi Juggie. How was work?

 

FP3: Work was dull. I miss you. Please say you’ll come back.

 

BlueBird21: I can’t right now. Believe me, I want to.

 

Hot Dog had missed Betty, too. As soon as Jughead sat down at the computer, Hot Dog sauntered over to sit next to him.

 

FP3: Betts, if you won’t come over for me – please – come back for Hot Dog’s sake. He’s whimpering at my feet right now.

 

BlueBird21: Seriously?

 

FP3: Yes. Poor Hot Dog, what am I supposed to tell him?

 

BlueBird21: That I’ll be back?

 

FP3: I don’t think he believes me.

Jughead looked down at Hot Dog, who whimpered and put his face down on the floor.

 

FP3: I’m actually being serious, Betts. He just looked at me with the saddest expression…

 

BlueBird21: Aww. <3

 

FP3: When can I see you again?

 

BlueBird21: You saw me in class!

 

FP3: Once, and I still sat in the back…I don’t want the teacher to call on me.

 

BlueBird21: But we went to the library together afterwards?

 

Betty loved giving him a hard time. She loved hearing him say how much he missed her.

 

FP3: That was hardly the same thing, Juliet.

 

BlueBird21: Oh?

 

Betty started to grin. She knew what he meant. She wanted to kiss him again, too. Perhaps harder this time. They had only shared gentle kisses so far. But god she loved his lips. They were so unbelievably soft. She could kiss him for hours, but she would make him wait a little while longer…have him say what she wanted to hear. She knew he was probably squirming at his desk because she was, too.

 

FP3: You know, it wasn’t long enough. The time in the library.

 

BlueBird21: And?

 

FP3: Well, all I got to do was hold your hand for a brief second.

 

BlueBird21: Oh, I see.

 

FP3: Are you doing this to me on purpose?

 

BlueBird21: Doing what? :)

 

FP3: Fine. I would like to kiss you again. Let me take you out?

 

BlueBird21: I was waiting for you to say that…

 

FP3: I knew it. Which part?

 

BlueBird21: Both…

 

FP3: Can I take you out on a date Friday night?

 

BlueBird21: Yes. <3

 

FP3: I’ll pick you up at 6.

 

BlueBird21: Actually, I was thinking…

 

FP3: Oh? Something else?

 

Betty wondered at the implication of what she was about to ask. Surely, he would know she didn’t mean _that_. At least, not yet anyways. Especially because he was so respectful of her when she stayed over at his house. Yes, she decided she would ask him.

 

BlueBird21: Can you stay over?

 

FP3: Friday night?

 

BlueBird21: No, this weekend.

 

Jughead grinned at his desk as he began to type. So, Betty wanted him to stay over _all_ weekend. Perhaps she liked him as much as he liked her?

 

FP3: All weekend?

 

BlueBird21: Yes.

 

FP3: Of course, but I’ll have to bring Hot Dog. He’s not a person, even though you say I treat him like one…

 

BlueBird21: I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

FP3: I miss sleeping next to you, Betts.

 

Betty felt giddy as she typed.

 

BlueBird21: You too… <3

 

FP3: <3

 

BlueBird21: See you Friday, Juggie.

 

FP3: Until then. :)

…

Friday night, Betty was sitting in front of her vanity when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Jughead standing with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a leash in the other. Hot Dog lunged for Betty, but was stalled only by the leash. Betty grinned.

 

“Hey.”

 

Betty smiled as she opened the door to her apartment, “Come in… _both of you_.”

 

Jughead frowned at the emphasis Betty used at the end of the sentence, “I know what you’re doing. Still making fun of me for talking to my dog?”

 

“ _Maybe_.”

 

Jughead grinned as he handed her a dozen red roses, “ _These_ are for you.”

 

Betty smiled as she grabbed the bouquet in her hand to smell it, “They’re beautiful, Jug.” She leaned over to kiss Jughead’s cheek, barely missing his mouth. She let her gaze linger for a moment as she went into the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase.

 

Jughead watched as Betty poured water into an oblong piece of glass, carefully arranging the flowers so that they were spaced just so. He watched as her face light up when she was done arranging them. He wondered what her face would look like if they were…no, he stopped himself from going _there_.

 

Jughead put his beanie on the kitchen counter and glanced around the room, “So, this is your apartment.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It’s so…”

 

“Tiny? I know. It’s alright to say it.”

 

Jughead grinned, “I wasn’t going to say that, Betts.”

 

“But you were thinking it.”

 

Jughead gave Betty a bashful smile, “Yeah, _but hey_ – my apartment isn’t large either. I only worry about you staying here because of all the safety issues this complex has.”

 

Betty laughed, “Well, they don’t pay students a huge salary at The Met, actually. I know, surprising, right? They view it as a ‘privilege’ for the students that even get the opportunity to work there. I’m sure they get away with paying us a lot less under the guise of ‘resume building.’ I’m just hoping they don’t cut my hours, you know?”

 

“Yikes. They wouldn’t cut them, would they?”

 

Betty laughed. “It’s happened before, Jug. I had to eat beans and rice for a few days.”

 

“Seriously, Betts? That’s awful.”

 

“It wasn’t _that_ bad. And hey, my anxiety gets the better of my appetite anyways.”

 

Jughead frowned, “ _Betty_.”

 

“Jug, don’t give me that look.” Betty grinned and went back to her flowers.

 

Jughead paused, wondering if what he was about to say would seem to presumptuous. Then he decided, fuck it, he would ask her anyways.

 

“Betts…”

 

Betty looked up from the vase. One of her fingers was caressing a rose petal.

 

“You could always stay with me, you know, if you ever needed to.”

 

Betty grinned. She wouldn’t mind staying with him again; however, she was becoming increasingly worried that she couldn’t control herself around him. And because she had never gotten to that point in a relationship before, she wasn’t sure what was expected. And she didn’t want to rush anything. Not yet. She walked over and kissed him.

 

“So, Jughead Jones, where are you taking me tonight?”

 

Jughead grinned as he ran his fingers through his hair, “I figured we would be stereotypical New Yorkers for once.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I’m taking you out for Italian food.”

 

Betty returned his grin, “I’ll get my coat.”

…

Jughead held Betty’s hand at the table while they waited on their order. He rubbed his thumb up and down her hand slowly.

 

“Do you still want to be a journalist, Juggie?”

 

Jughead looked up at her, “Yes. I just hope I can secure a position before I graduate,” Jughead grinned, “And do you still _want_ to be a freelance writer?”

 

“Yes, but I have no idea where to start. I did publish several pieces in the newsletter for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though. They put my name in the credentials and everything.”

 

“You never told me that.”

 

Betty laughed, “Of course I didn’t. Then you would have known where I worked!”

 

Jughead smiled, “True. Hey, did you ever read that one fictional book about The Met?”

 

“There’s a book?”

 

“Yes,” Jughead looked down at the table and smiled, “These two children run away from home and sleep in the museum for a really long time. They also end up solving this longstanding mystery about a piece of art; they actually prove Michelangelo created this one sculpture in the museum – I think it was a statute of David – it had no signature or identifiable markings on it. The book is called _From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_.”

 

Delighted, Betty let out a laugh, “ _What!_ ”

 

“I’m serious. It’s a children’s mystery.”

 

Betty grinned, “Why do I feel like you imagined yourself as one of those kids, Jug?”

 

Jughead’s face grew serious, “I used to read a lot as a kid. I don’t know, it helped me escape what was going on at home…and forget about all the fighting my parents did.”

 

“Oh Jug, I’m sorry. I was only teasing you.”

 

“It’s fine,” Jughead attempted to lighten the mood, “Maybe I’m just mad because you were right…”

 

“About what?”

 

Jughead smiled, “I totally did imagine myself as one of those kids. And they slept in Henry the sixths actual bed or something. A bed fit for a king, an _actual_ one.”

 

Betty laughed, “But that would never work now, Jug! That place is crawling with cameras.”

 

“Hey, don’t ruin my childhood fantasy!” Jughead grinned as he looked down, lacing his fingers with hers.

 

Betty couldn’t contain her laughter any longer, “So, let me get this straight. You talk to your dog _and_ you want to live in an art museum?!”

 

Jughead shook his head as he took another sip of water, “I’m not telling you another thing, Betts!”

...

Jughead held the door open for Betty as they left the restaurant.

 

“Thanks for dinner, Jug.”

 

“You’re welcome. But I still resent what you said in there!”

 

Betty smiled.

 

Jughead gently laced his fingers in hers, “Do you want to go for a walk, Betts?”

 

“Lead the way, Romeo.”

…

It was already dark by the time the pair happened upon Central Park. Still holding Jughead’s hand, Betty hoped onto a nearby fountain and began to walk around it.

 

Jughead grinned and looked up at her, “Betty, you should be careful up there.”

 

Betty ignored Jughead and began to sing as she held his hand, “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie - _that’s amore_.”

 

“What are you singing, Betty?”

 

“Dean Martin,” Betty continued on, “When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine…”

 

“Betty, that looks really slippery, you should probably get down now.”

 

“ _That’s amore_!” Betty continued to walk and sing, “When you dance down the street – _ahhh_!”

Suddenly, without warning, Betty slipped and fell right into the fountain.

 

“Betty!”

 

Jughead watched as Betty surfaced from the fountain. He grabbed her hands and hoisted her up, “Betty, are you alright? Geez, you’re soaked.”

 

Betty looked down and started to laugh. Then she looked up at Jughead, her green eyes sparkled for a brief second.

 

“You’re going to hate me, Jug.”

 

“Betty, what are you talking about? Here, let’s get you out of that fountain. Geez, Betts. I cannot believe you just did that.”

 

Betty lowered her gaze and met his eyes again, “Now you’re really going to hate me.”

 

“What?”

 

Betty grabbed Jughead’s hands and pulled him into the fountain with her. Before he came up for air, his beanie was floating on top of the water.

 

Jughead came up for air looking extremely irritated, “Really?” His wet black curls were plastered to his forehead, obstructing part of his view.

 

Betty started to laugh and splashed him with water.

 

“So, this is going to be a common theme on our dates, then? Getting soaked?” Jughead shook his head. He grabbed his Beanie and began to ring the water out of it. “I think it’s time to go home, Betts.”

 

Still in the fountain, Betty walked towards him, clothes sloshing beneath her, “Are you mad, Jug?”

 

Jughead sighed, “I don’t know what to say right now, I…” Jughead let his voice trail off and then flung water at her, grinning.

 

Betty laughed and started to do the same.

 

“Okay, truce. Let’s get out of the water, Betts. I’m being serious.”

 

Jughead got out of the fountain and held his hands open for Betty. When she grabbed them, he pulled her into him, wrapped his arms around her lower waist, and kissed her.

 

“Are you mad, Jug?”

 

“A little,” Jughead kissed her again, “You’re ridiculous, Betts.”

…

When they got back to Betty’s apartment, she grabbed two towels and threw one over Jughead.

 

“I’m going to need to shower off, Betts. But you go first.”

 

“Jug?”

 

“What is it?”

 

Betty pulled him into her and kissed him. He broke the kiss for a brief moment to look at her, smiled, and pulled her back into him. Later, when the pair were in her bed, Jughead continued reading the story to her that they had first started weeks prior. But Betty was having an increasingly hard time concentrating on the story or anything he was saying. Instead, she looked at his lips and then let her eyes trail downwards. She had the sudden urge to straddle him, but she thought he might think she was being too forward. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder.

…

Saturday night rolled around. Betty and Jughead were standing in line at the old movie theater downtown to get tickets to see Alfred Hitchcock’s _The Birds_.

 

“And you’re sure you don’t mind watching this movie again, Betts?”

 

Betty grinned and shook her head. She wondered if Jughead would want to sit in the back of the movie theater and _maybe_ cuddle. When the attendant checked their ticket stubs, Betty grabbed his hand and let him to the back side of the theater.

 

“Woah, slow down Betty. Let me catch up with you.”

 

Betty continued to pull Jughead by the hand. He noticed that there were only two people sitting in the theater, an elderly couple in the second to front row.

 

When Betty had come out of her room earlier that evening, Jughead had noticed she was wearing a delicate blue dress, that hugged her figure gently. He had to avert his eyes to avoid embarrassing himself. He started to grow hard when he glanced at her; he was relieved when Betty put a jacket over the dress. He didn’t want her to think that he was only looking at her body. He liked spending time with her, too. But god she was pretty. There was no denying that. He had fallen for her a while ago, but was holding back. And he wouldn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. There was no need to rush anything, at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

 

After they sat down in the back row, Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand as the movie started. They stared at each other briefly.

 

“ _What_?” Betty’s voice broke.

 

“You look … _so_ pretty.”

 

Jughead leaned over to kiss her. As he pulled away, Betty looked at him again. This time, he let the next kiss linger a little while longer. As he tried to pull away again, Betty cradled his face and climbed onto his lap. As she kissed him, Jughead sighed. He started to kiss her harder, just barely stopping himself.

 

“ _Wait_ …” Jughead was panting by now, his voice a broke.

 

“What’s wrong, Jug?”

 

“Nothing,” Jughead sighed and kissed her gently, “Not here, Betts.”

 

Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his forehead.

 

Jughead moved Betty’s hair to the side, “You’re so beautiful…god… _I can’t_ …” Jughead rubbed his thumb onto her lower lip.

 

“Can’t what?”

 

Jughead wrapped his hands around her face, “Not here, okay?”

 

Betty laid her head onto his neck as they continued to watch the remainder of the movie. He had called her beautiful. Betty smiled, finally allowing herself to relax.

…

 

When the pair left the movie theater, Betty turned to Jughead.

 

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Jug. Thanks for taking me.”

“Anytime, Betts.”

 

“No, really. I’m starting to feel…I don’t know…a little less stressed.”

 

Jughead smiled, “Less stressed is good. I just wanted you to have a good time, Betts.”

 

Betty leaned in closer to kiss him as Jughead wraps his arms around her waist.

 

“Can I ask you something, Juggie?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Why did you stop kissing me in there. I mean, the theater was almost empty.”

 

“ _Betty_ ,” Jughead was sure he was red now. He knew how flustered he sounded; his chest was feeling hot now. He pulled his beanie off and pretended to move his hair aside.

 

“ _Oh_ ,” Betty whispered as she turned red. Jughead grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on top of her palm as the pair began to walk down the street.

…

Betty and Jughead were walking back to Betty’s apartment when Jughead immediately noticed something was wrong. The first thing he saw was the front door to Betty’s apartment; it was ajar several inches and he knew Betty had locked it with precision. He let go of her hand and pushed it aside slowly.

 

As the two entered the apartment, Betty covered her mouth with her hand when she noticed that her television and a few other items were gone.

 

“Oh no! _Juggie_.”

 

Jughead put his hand on his head. “It looks like someone broke into your apartment, Betts.”

 

Hot Dog came running into the living room yelping. When Betty picked him up he was shaking. Betty started to cry, “Juggie, what if they had hurt Hot Dog?”

 

“He’ll be alright, won’t you boy?” Jughead bent down to pet Hog Dog.

 

Betty buried her face in Hot Dogs fur.

 

“I’m calling the police, Betts.”

 

The police came and went. Much later in the evening, Jughead was holding Betty on her couch. She was crying softly, a little overwhelmed by what had happened earlier. Jughead brushed hair out of her face and wiped a tear off her cheek with the pad of his thumb, “Betty, look at me.”

 

Betty swallowed.

 

“You’re not staying here anymore, okay?”

 

Betty nodded in agreement. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Jughead cradled her head.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in updating. This is one of the busiest times of my life. I wanted to say thank you to everyone that has left me comments and kudos - I'm so excited whenever I see a new one on my dashboard. Thank you! 
> 
> I really love this chapter and I hope you love it, too. 
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

10.

Jughead Jones walked out from his living room to find Betty Cooper putting a pink candle in the center of his kitchen table.

 

“What?”

 

Jughead shot her a look as he pretended to scratch his head, “Betts…when I said you could make yourself at home here, I meant it, really – but _pink_?”

 

Betty grinned, “What’s one candle, Jug?” When she looked up again, she noticed he hadn’t moved from where he was standing. Instead, his hands were in his pockets. He looked like he was lost in his own thoughts, “Oh, wait, your actually serious?” Betty laughed.

 

Jughead shook his head and walked over to the fridge. He was grinning on the inside. He knew that if Betty was making the apartment her own, she wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. And if she wasn’t going anywhere, then this would be _their_ apartment and that would mean his days as a loner were coming to an abrupt end. Jughead’s mind wandered to other forbidden territories – if she lived with him, eventually, things would escalate and maybe, then – ‘No, Jughead. What the fuck. She’s very beautiful, yes. But you love her, too. _Right_? Yeah, yeah I do. So, stop going _there_ , dude. She wouldn’t appreciate you thinking of her naked in your bed with her legs wrapped around you, moaning your name. _You’re right_. But I am still male, am I not? Get a grip.’ Jughead was annoyed that his maleness, something he had successfully repressed for a while decided to rear its ugly head on today of all days. It was especially poor timing considering Betty had just been robbed the night before.

 

Jughead’s back was turned away from Betty as he drank a glass of water. As he turned around, he noticed that Betty was standing over the bookshelf in the living room – _wait_ – she had one of his journals in her hands and she was leafing through the pages. And that was a rather incriminating journal of his, too. He was pretty sure he had written…

 

“Betts – _wait_ \- no!” Jughead ran over to her to try and grab the notebook out of her hand, but she was quicker.

 

Betty laughed as he chased her around the couch, which blocked his access to her and the journal, “This one, Juggie? What’s in here anyways?”

 

Jughead stifled a laugh. He was annoyed and having fun at the same time. He wondered how that was even possible? _Women._ Jughead shook his head, he moved left and right as he tried to keep up with her.

 

“Betts, come on. Put the journal down. I told you those are off limits.”

 

Sensing the commotion, Hot Dog got up from his bed in the corner and began to bark. His eyes darted back and forth between the pair.

 

“Come and get it, Juggie!”

 

Already wearing her pajamas, Betty ran across his living room and jumped over a laundry basket. Jughead wasn’t so lucky. He narrowly missed the basket, but still managed to end up with his hands and knees on the floor as Betty ran towards his room.

 

“Turning the pages now! What’s in here?”

 

“Betts, no.”

 

Jughead ran into his room as Betty was thumbing through pages in the middle of the journal, “ _Oh_.”

 

“Give that to me.”

 

Betty suspended the journal in the air with one hand, laughing as she watched him struggle to knock it out of her hand. Betty backed up against his bed until her knees hit the mattress and she fell backwards. Jughead was already on top of her after two seconds. He was grabbing for the journal as Betty kept it at bay. Suddenly, Jughead stopped. With Betty beneath him, their eyes locked. Betty let go of the journal as Jughead’s hand brushed against her face. They were both breathing heavily now, partly from running across the apartment, but also because of the underlying tension that both of them continued to ignore.

 

Jughead pinned Betty’s wrists to the bed as he bent down to kiss her. He started to deepen the kiss when the doorbell rang.

 

Jughead paused, “Pizza.” Betty looked at him, “I ordered pizza for us, Betts. You were in the shower.” Betty nodded as Jughead let out a deep breathe against her face. Jughead got up painstakingly slow from the bed. Betty followed him out into the living room.

 

After Jughead paid for the pizza, he carried two boxes into the kitchen and set them down on the counter. His hands were on the box, “You didn’t eat much this morning. I just thought pizza was a good option for dinner.”

 

Betty grinned, “Thanks, Jug.”

 

Later, Jughead was in the kitchen rinsing a plate off in the sink. Betty was checking her phone for new messages when it buzzed in her hands.

 

“Veronica?” Jughead grinned and rolled his eyes.

 

“Yeah. She just wants to make sure I’m alright after what happened.”

 

“So, she’s checking up on _us_?”

 

“ _Maybe_.” Betty shot him a look as Jughead glanced down and continued to clean the dishes.

 

Betty read the tiny print on the blue screen, “Glad you’re okay, Chica.”

 

Betty sighed as she texted a response, “I’ll be fine.”

 

“Yeah, because you’re staying at his house…in his bed…”

 

“STOP.”

 

“Seriously though, Betty. When are you going to fill me in on the deets?”

 

Betty clutched her phone and began to type, “There are no “deets.”

 

“Fine. Strangely, I believe you. Come over tomorrow?”

 

“Sounds good. TTYL.”

…

The following day, Jughead was behind the counter at work. He was rinsing out a steel container in the sink next to the expresso machine as Dilton leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

 

“So, Jughead, I know that Betty had a car break-in before and all, but now she’s _staying_ with you, man?”

 

Jughead looked up from the stainless steel, “Her apartment got broken into, Dilton. What was I supposed to do? Let her stay there and get robbed again. Or worse?”

 

“Not at all, Jughead. It’s just…”

 

“Just what?”

 

“Well,” Dilton laughed, “They have these things called home security systems now. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?”

 

Jughead stifled a grin, well aware of the fact that there were other alternatives for Betty that didn’t involve living with him. Of course, he knew that; he wanted her staying there, hopeful that only time she ever had to leave again was to pick up the last of her belongings.

 

“Okay?”

 

“It’s just, moving in together, isn’t that kind of serious? First, she ran after you in tears when she first met you here and now…” Dilton’s voice trailed off. Still grinning, Dilton uncrossed his arms.

 

“What are you getting at Dilton?”

 

“I don’t know man. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to wife up Betty Cooper.”

 

“Shut the hell up, dude.” Jughead grinned and walked to the back-storage room to grab some coffee creamer.

 

Dilton shook his head as he muttered to himself, “My boy is whipped.”

…

Betty rang Veronica’s door as she gripped the coffee she had snagged from Jughead’s work.

 

Veronica opened the door, “Finally, Betty. I’ve been dying to know how you’re doing after what happened. You look alright.”

 

Betty nodded, “I’m okay,” She gripped her satchel and followed Veronica into the kitchen where the pair sat down on two wooden stools in its center.

 

Veronica murmured under her breath as she sipped her coffee, “Being in love looks good on you, babe.”

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing. I’m glad you’re alright. How is everything now that your back at his apartment?”

 

Betty grinned.

 

“Would it be weird to say I’m glad you got robbed? Now you can get laid!”

 

“What the hell, Veronica.” Betty grinned and took another sip of her coffee.

 

Veronica rolled her eyes, “Oh, come on. You know I like to give you a hard time.”

 

Betty didn’t respond. Instead, she glanced down at the countertop.

 

“Is something bothering you, Betty?”

 

Betty gripped her coffee cup and fumbled with the lid. “Veronica, I’ve never gotten to this point in a relationship, ever. And I guess we kind of _live together_ now, right? It’s freaking me out.”

 

“ _Oh_. I had no idea you were feeling like this. Do you need to stay here? Do you _not_ want to stay with Jughead?”

 

Betty shook her head, “No, no. It’s not that. It’s just that I don’t really know what’s expected.”

 

Veronica changed her tone, “Betty, nothing is expected. You don’t have to _do_ anything. You know that. And I can’t see Jughead pressuring you to do anything you aren’t ready for. He’s probably just thrilled he gets to come home to a pretty girl, who happens to lay in his bed every night.”

 

“ _I know_ , he’s really sweet.”

 

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

 

“Well there is this one _thing_.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Betty’s face flushed, “I can’t believe I’m about to ask you this, but…” Betty sighed, “I’m on the pill, but I’ve been on it since I was fifteen. Does it _actually_ work?”

 

Veronica nearly choked on her coffee, “Betty, are you asking me that to reassure yourself or something? You’re a smart girl, you know damn well it works or the drug companies would be paying a lot of wrongful birth lawsuits.”

 

“That’s a thing?”

 

“Yes, legal term. Don’t ask. Look, Betty, can I be perfectly honest with you?”

 

“About what?”

 

“This whole _thing_ with you and Jughead?”

 

“Okay.” Betty got quiet.

 

“As much as I go on and on about _sex_ , I don’t think your actually ready to have it.”

 

“Oh?” Betty laughed, “That sounds weird coming from you.”

 

“I know, but hear me out. People say that having sex before marriage is bad. You can debate with people about that all-day long. The real issue here is that you don’t want to have sex and then have the guy you lost your virginity to not take it seriously. Sex is a big deal the first time and some guys take that for granted. I suppose the whole ‘no sex before marriage rule’ is just to protect you from heartache, _I guess_. Sex is a big deal and it changes relationships. _And_ you just asked me if ‘the pill’ works. So, _no_ , I don’t think you’re ready to have sex, Betty.”

 

“Well, how will I know when I’m ready?”

 

“No offense Betts, but you seem like the type to save sex for after ‘I love yous’ have been exchanged and maybe your – engaged? I don’t know!”

 

“ _Veronica_!”

 

“Hey, just being honest. But marriage is no shield against heartache either. My mom cheated on my dad when they were supposedly happily married.” Veronica paused, “Look, this is coming from a good place. I meant what I said about taking this seriously. I’ve had more than my fair share of heartbreaks, babe.”

 

“You mean…”

 

“The guy I lost my virginity to, yeah – he was hot as hell - _like_ Jughead. But then he started running around on me and seeing other girls behind my back. It made me feel used because I wanted what we had to mean something more, you know? It did for me, but it didn’t for him. I just don’t want you to make the same mistake I did.”

 

“You never told me the whole story before.”

 

“Yeah, well, it’s kind of a painful one. Thankfully, that was a long time ago; the pain is nothing now compared to how it was when it first happened, so there’s that.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“It was a while ago, babe. Fortunately, I’ve dated better guys since then. I also know how to tell the difference between a hook-up and a serious relationship now. I just want the best for you.”

 

“Thanks, Veronica.”

 

“Oh, and since you’re asking about the pill, it’s highly effective as long as you take it at the same time every day. You can actually have sex without a condom and let him finish inside of you…”

 

“Veronica!”

 

“What? I only mentioned it because you and Jughead are both virgins, so no STD’s to speak of.”

 

Betty turned red. She gripped the middle of her coffee cup tightly.

 

“Just a thought. I didn’t want to get too matronly on you, Betts. I know you get enough of that shit from your mom.”

 

“True.”

 

“But fuck, don’t talk to Alice about this like, ever.”

 

Mortified, Betty looked at Veronica, “I don’t plan on it, believe me.”

 

“Just saying.”

 

Betty took a sip of her coffee.

...

When Betty came home later that night, Jughead was lounging on the couch with Hot Dog nestled beside him. He was reading a book as his legs dangled from the footrest. Sensing movement, Hot Dog barked when he saw Betty’s silhouette approach the living room. Then, Hot Dog jumped off the couch and disappeared into Jughead’s bedroom.

 

Betty placed her keys and purse onto the counter; she grinned, walking towards him, “Hi.”

 

“Come here.” Jughead pulled Betty into him on the couch, “I’m glad your back. It was quiet here without you. How was Veronica’s?”

 

Betty turned red.

 

“Are you alright, Betts?”

 

“Yeah.” Betty tucked one of Jughead’s unruly black curls behind his ear. She smiled at him as he planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

 

Betty was ruminating over her earlier conversation in Veronica’s kitchen. She bit her lower lip, thinking of what it might be like for Jughead to touch her. And he would be her first. She wondered if sex felt as good as everyone said it did. Betty’s mind began to wander. She chastised herself, ‘Betty, stop thinking about Jughead like _that_. I get it, he’s looks damn good shirtless and probably even better naked. But you can’t let him know you’re thinking of him that way. Betty reminded herself: I’m a nice girl. And nice girls shouldn’t be having thoughts like this, right? He’s just so _soft_ …’

 

Jughead had a puzzled expression on his face. “Betts, are you okay? You look anxious.”

 

“Yeah,” Betty smiled as her voice trailed off.

 

“Bed? You look like your about to pass out, Betts.”

 

Jughead stood up, scooping Betty into his arms in one motion. Betty laughed and kicked her feet, “What are you doing, Juggie?”

 

“Carrying you?”

 

Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck as the sensation of imaginary butterflies filled her lower abdomen. She was practically drunk on them two seconds later when Jughead kissed her again.

 

When Jughead carried her into his room, the pair was met with an unexpected surprise. While they were in the living room, Hot Dog had ripped up a pile of Betty’s clothes that she had yet to put away. She was too upset from the previous night to worry about the large bag of things she had tossed haphazardly into the corner of his bedroom.

 

“HOT DOG - _NO_!” Jughead put Betty down on the ground gently and went to scold him. He clapped his hands as Hot Dog zoomed around the room, a ripped garment still wedged between his teeth.

 

Jughead turned around to face Betty, “I’m so sorry, Betts. Honestly, he hasn’t done this in a long time.”

 

Betty’s mouth was still open. She started to grin.

 

“Are you mad? I’m so sorry. We can go get you some new clothes tomorrow.” Jughead threw his hands behind his head, “I can’t believe he made such a mess!”

 

“Jug,” Betty grabbed Jughead’s arm, “Maybe he’s acting out because of what happened?”

 

Jughead’s expression softened, “Oh, I hadn’t considered that.” Jughead sighed.

 

“Don’t worry about the clothes.”

 

“Betty…”

 

“I’m serious. Wait, Jug – I almost forgot! _Our_ trip is coming up!”

 

Jughead grinned, “As a Welshman, I hope you’re ready for me to annoy the shit out of you with my Celtic trivia. You know I’ve read like half a dozen books by David McCullough.”

 

Betty laughed, “ _Oh really._ That’s just one author, Jug. To be honest, it seems the only thing you know about are fairytales and children’s stories.”

 

Jughead was cradling her face in his hands now, “That’s not exactly true.”

 

Betty tilted her head a little, “It’s not?” She began to toy with the collar of his shirt.

 

“No.”

 

“Fine, prove it. Name some authors that lived in Scotland _or_ Ireland – _but_ \- that didn’t write children’s books.”

 

Jughead paused, “Okay, give me a moment.” Jughead flexed his brow, “Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson – _wait_ – no!”

 

Betty moved her lips closer to his, “You just failed the test. You couldn’t even come up with the obvious ones – James Joyce _or_ Oscar Wilde. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you did that on purpose. It’s like you didn’t even pay attention in our _class_.” Betty bit her lower lip.

 

Jughead’s breath was hot on her face, “I…couldn’t… _think_.”

 

Betty moved closer still, “Guess you’re going to have to pay now.”

 

“ _How_ ,” Jughead almost moaned.

 

Betty closed the distance between them, putting her lips onto his. She began to kiss him languidly. Suddenly, Hot Dog ran between their legs, effectively breaking up their moment before it had even started.

 

“I should shower.” Jughead cleared his throat. He turned away from her quickly, just narrowly avoiding further embarrassment. What he needed was a long, cold shower.

…

The next day, as he was pouring a bag of coffee beans into a large steel grinder, Jughead’s phone buzzed in the left pocket of his jeans.

 

“Can you meet me at work when your shift is done? I have a surprise for you, Juggie.”

 

“Of course, how is 5:00?”

 

“Perfect. See you then.”

…

It was déjà vu all over again as Jughead climbed up the front steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He thought about the last time he had done this; he had been so mad at Betty that day. But now? He could barely contain the excitement welling up in his abdomen as he gripped the door handle to let himself inside. Betty was waiting for him at the front entrance. She smiled as he walked up to her, hands still in his pocket. He still felt shy around her on occasion; once in a while, if it had been a particularly bad day, he felt inadequate around her, too. Perhaps it was because he had suffered from low self-esteem when he was a teenager; wait, who was he kidding, he _still_ dealt with that sometimes. But whatever the reason, he often wondered how he had been so lucky to have a girl as beautiful as Betty return his interest with equal fervor.

 

He leaned down to kiss her cheek, “Is this allowed?” Jughead whispered.

 

“I’m not sure, “Betty whispered back, glancing at his lips briefly.

 

“So, what am I doing here?”

 

“Follow me.”

 

Jughead trailed just behind Betty. He kept his hands in his pockets because, he reminded himself, she was still technically on the clock. Betty led Jughead through several flights of stairs and two singular hallways. Jughead allowed his eyes to take in the sights of several paintings and sculptures as he followed close behind her.

 

“Renaissance section again, Juliet?”

 

“Not quite, right before that period. Just wait, almost there.”

 

“Oh.” Jughead grinned.

 

Jughead followed Betty into a dimly lit room. On one side, there was a tapestry covering the entire wall. In the center of the room, there was a bed that appeared to be made of mahogany and teakwood; the wood was concealed under a great deal of cloth. Its sides were covered with a dark velvet fabric the color of oxblood. The bottom of the bed was trimmed with floral designs and speckles of fleur-de-lie, which were nestled in-between silver vines. The comforter on the bed was a deep color that was a darker variation of royal blue, its sheen looked almost like lapis. As Jughead scanned the bed, Betty turned to face him.

 

“Recognize it?” Betty beamed.

 

Jughead stared. Slowly, a smile crept across his face, “ _Wait_ , Betts…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“So, this is _the_ bed?”

 

“Yeah, it’s the one from your story that the children slept in when they stayed in the museum. I didn’t read the book, honestly. I just looked it up. Apparently, the Met till gets visitors asking about it on occasion. You know, for their _children_.”

 

Jughead grinned as he stepped closer to her, closing the distance between them.

 

“Jug,” Betty paused, “Um, there’s more. I looked up the facts about this bed. It didn’t belong to Henry the VI.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“No,” Betty wrung her fingers in between her hands.

 

Instinctively, Jughead reached out to grab one of her hands to prevent her from digging her fingers into her palms again, “Betts, what is it?”

 

“Juggie,” Betty cleared her throat, “It belonged to a nobleman, Lord Robert Dudley. He was a personal friend of Elizabeth I and he was…murdered in _it_ ”

 

Startled, Jughead raised both of his eyebrows as a black curl moved down his forehead, “ _Oh my god_.” Jughead laughed.

 

Betty looked up at him, “I know, right?”

 

“Don’t’ let that bother you, Betty.” Jughead placed his other hand on her chin and quickly planted a kiss on her lips, pulling away just in case (and there most certainly were) security cameras watching the two of them, “This is just…amazing.”

 

“Do you still want to sleep here?” Betty bit her lower lip.

 

“Another thing you’re going to tease me about? Am I right?”

 

“Count on it. Come on!” Betty grabbed his hand, “I’m taking you to see The Statue of David…and then, to the Fountain of Muses.”

 

“Lead the way, Juliet.”

…

When they were in the Baroque wing of the museum, Betty paused in front of an enormous onyx fountain that resembled a shallow swimming pool. The water was hitting its edges lightly cascading around in a gentle current; at its center were several male sprites that appeared to be leaping through the water in slow motion.

 

“And _this_ , Juggie, is the fountain that the runaways from your little fairytale bathed in.”

 

“Just for the record, it’s an actual novel, not a fairytale. And who are you calling a runaway, Betts?”

 

“No one, I swear. As a tour guide, I’m just stating the facts, Juggie.”

 

“Well, you’ve finally given me a chance to tease you about something, Betts.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Jughead shot Betty a mischievous grin, “So, during your breaks here, when you aren’t texting me, do you like to go swimming here? Because you seemed to _really_ enjoy pulling me into the fountain in Central Park. And what kind of grown ass woman dances on top of a fountain anyways?”

 

“I didn’t do that on purpose, Jug. _And hey_ – you swore you weren’t mad.”

 

“Oh, I’m not. I just wanted to know if you’ve gone swimming here. You called me a purveyor of fairy tales, but if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were equally culpable.”

 

Betty laughed, “Come on.”

…

When Betty and Jughead left the museum, they walked halfway down the steps when Jughead stopped and turned to face her.

 

“I loved that, Betts - every minute of it.”

 

Betty smiled.

 

“But now I’m kind of _pissed_.”

 

“Wait, why?”

 

“Because your date was clearly better than all of mine.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, I’m going to have to find a way to compete with that.”

 

Betty’s green eyes flashed at his, “Okay, Romeo. But you’re going to lose.”

 

“Your kind of … competitive, aren’t you?”

 

“I mean, a little. I guess I’m sort of Type A.”

 

“ _You guess_?” Jughead grinned as he raised his eyebrows. He put out his hand for her to grab, “Home?”

 

“ _Home_.”

…

That night, Betty and Jughead were snuggling on the couch as he was reading to her. But Betty wasn’t in the mood for reading anymore. She gently tugged his beanie off mid-sentence, pulling it onto her head.

 

“That’s _my_ hat, Betty.”

 

“What if I want to keep it?”

 

Jughead grinned, “What do I get in return?”

 

“You get, dearest Juggie, a cute girl wearing your clothing. That should be enough for you.”

 

Jughead scowled.

 

“I’m tired, Jug.”

 

“I know, I can’t believe it’s already eleven – _shit_ \- let’s go to bed.”

…

Betty was already under the covers when Jughead turned off the bedroom lights. He crawled into bed next to her and flung the comforter over his legs, which were much longer than hers. Betty laid on his chest. Maybe it was because she had wrapped herself around his side, and then again, maybe it was because he was hopelessly in love with her, but in about two seconds flat, Jughead started to feel _the_ sensation again. He counted to ten, praying to god she wouldn’t notice. He willed it away, thinking only of numbers. Jughead’s chest felt heavy. He let out a deep sigh and turned to face her.

 

“ _Betty_.”

 

Betty looked at him expectantly, his hands had already made their way to her cheeks. Slowly, Jughead leaned into her, just barely kissing her lips. When he pulled away for a single second, he decided that he needed more. ‘Just _do it_ , Jughead. Give her the kiss you’ve been holding back on. Do it, _now_.’ He hoped to god that she wasn’t going to be mad. Apparently, Betty had the same idea, though, because as soon as Jughead gave her an open-mouthed kiss, Betty stuck her tongue in his mouth as she felt the tip of his tongue nudge her lower lip. ‘Oh my god, _yes_ ,’ immediately raced through Jughead’s mind. He moaned, tangling her tongue with his own as he cradled her head in his hands. Betty’s began to run her hands through his hair as he upped the intensity of the kiss. He let his lips brush her cheek and ear for a second before he began kissing her again. She let a light sound of pleasure escape her lips briefly before their lips met again.

…

The next morning, Betty was the first one to wake up. Sensing her movement, Hot Dog got up from the corner of the room and sauntered over to the edge of the bed, whimpering.

 

“One second, Hot Dog.”

 

Betty grinned as she watched Jughead’s chest move up and down. She bent down to kiss him, saying in a barely audible whisper, _“I love you_.”

 

Betty got up to feed Hot Dog. She was deep in thought of how it felt when he kissed her like that for the first time; she wanted to get lost in him for days, still reeling from the sensation of his tongue on hers and the feel of his hands threading through her hair.

 

A few minutes later, Jughead was standing in the doorframe of his bedroom smiling with his arms crossed. Betty was still petting Hot Dog. She turned around and smiled. He turned red as he noticed her looking up at him, their eyes meeting for just a split second. And it was in that one solitary moment that Jughead realized that he was completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with Betty Cooper.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this, please let me know! <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, someone on tumblr (annioe) made something really nice for me that was inspired by this story. No one has ever done something so cool and unique like that for me before - I LOVED it. To show my appreciation for all of you and all the nice comments you left me on here and tumblr, here's Chapter 11. Thank you! <3
> 
> WARNING: This chapter mentions self-harm. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, I would suggest you skip this chapter. 
> 
> The song in this chapter is "I Will Find You" By Clannad. Side Note: Clannad is Enya's family. They are quite popular in Ireland, probably more popular than Enya! FYI. :-)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the song lyrics mentioned in this fic, they belong to Clannad and are the band's Intellectual Property. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

11.

After Jughead had showered, he quickly got dressed for work. He threw on a pair of Levi jeans and a grey shirt and flung his jacket around his arms as he hurriedly put them into the sleeves. When he walked into his living room, Betty was already curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over her lap. Hot Dog had rested his head on her legs and dozed off.

 

“Betty, why does everything in my apartment smell like roses now?”

 

Betty looked up at him, “What? Oh - sorry. I was using my pillow mist in _our_ – er – _your bedroom_.”

 

Jughead grinned at Betty’s Freudian slip – ‘Yes, she definitely said _our_ just now, dude. No, you aren’t imaging that. There was a definite usage of the word ‘our,’ which means she sees _us_ as a ‘we’; that was a huge acknowledgement on her part – at least, I think it was? Yes? Stop second guessing yourself.’

 

“Well, if that’s the case, then please explain to me why the bathroom _also_ smells like roses?”

 

“Those aren’t roses your smelling, they’re peonies!”

 

“Oh, because that particular flower smells so different from a rose?” Jughead grinned and rolled his eyes.

 

“You have a point, actually.”

 

“Will you be alright here for a few hours? Dilton is slammed at work because midterms are coming up. It gets bad around this time, I can’t just leave him stranded, you know?”

 

Betty got up, walking towards him, completely unaware of the sensual gait she had adapted around him, “I’ll be fine.” As she kissed him, Jughead ran his fingers through her hair and cradled her neck; he just barely traced the side of her left cheek with his thumb.

 

Jughead sighed, willing himself to pull away from her, “Okay.”

 

When the door closed behind Jughead, Betty turned around. She wondered how to spend her day off; it sure as hell wasn’t going to entail homework.

 

“Hot Dog! Wanna go for a jog?”

 

Hot Dog jumped off the couch, practically lunging at her. When he calmed down momentarily, Betty hooked the leash onto his collar, slipping out the front door.

…

Betty returned to the apartment an hour later. As she freed Hot Dog from his leash, he ran off and resumed his position in his bed in the corner of the room. He plopped down in one huff, completely worn out from being outrun by Betty’s long, lean legs. Betty smiled as she picked up her phone on the counter; however, her countenance changed immediately when she noticed that she had missed several phone calls from her mother, ‘No, shit,’ Betty thought. She didn’t dare tell her mother what had transpired at her apartment, or that she was living with a guy, ‘But Jug isn’t just any guy,’ Betty thought, ‘No, he’s wonderful and sweet. He makes me feel safe.’ Betty didn’t want to ruin a good thing – and this, what she had with Jughead – was all she had ever imagined and more even as a child; she wanted to love and be loved; she wanted to know that someone else cared about her happiness and interests.

 

Betty sat down on the couch, her hand shaking slightly as she dialed the number.

 

“H-hello?”

 

“Well, I’m glad you finally called me back, Elizabeth.”

 

“Hey. What’s up?”

 

“Well, I just wanted to talk to you about your post-graduation plans. Your father and I think it would be best if you moved back here. We could set you up with an internship at our company.”

 

“Well, the thing is…”

 

“Oh, Betty. You aren’t planning on staying in the city, are you? That’s not good for you, honey.”

 

“But I like it here.”

 

“Sweetie, that’s no place to settle down in. I thought you were just moving there for school.”

 

“I don’t know, I was, I guess. But it’s really grown on me.”

 

“Elizabeth, you need to start thinking long-term, think about where you see yourself in ten years. Surely it’s not living _alone_ in the city?”

 

“Well, _no_ , but mom…”

 

“Honey, your dad just hired a young intern on to be part of our staff. His name is Wilson. He comes from a good family. We think you guys would really hit it off. Why don’t you let dad introduce you to him the next time you’re in town?”

 

Betty was irate. She didn’t want to raise her voice, though, she didn’t feel like risking her mother’s wrath on her only day off. She flattened her free hand on the couch to avoid clenching her fist or digging her nails into the fleshy part of her palm.

 

Betty steadied her breath and began to speak, “Look, mom, I’m already seeing someone okay. I really don’t want to worry about my post-graduation plans right now. Is that okay with you? Can’t I just ride out the rest of the semester on my own terms?”

 

“Seeing someone? Well, a heads up would have been appreciated, Elizabeth. Especially since your dad has been gushing about you to Wilson. Don’t you think we should meet this guy, whoever he is?”

 

“Look, I really don’t feel like talking anymore today, alright?”

 

“Fine, but please don’t keep up out of the loop like this dear. Okay?”

 

“Alright. Bye.”

 

Betty hit the ‘end call’ button and threw her phone across the couch, ‘Who the hell does my mother think she is,’ Betty began to ruminate. She started to get angry, then she started to feel anxious, really anxious. Suddenly, Betty found herself hyperventilating. She tried taking deep breaths to soothe her head, but that wasn’t working, not this time.

 

‘Why can’t I just have control of my own life,’ Betty thought, ‘Why can’t I date whoever the hell I want, when I want.”

 

Betty began to breath heavily, hugging her arms together. Her chest heaved up and down as she took in each breath, ‘Why don’t you just cut yourself,’ a familiar voice sounded from deep within Betty’s gut, ‘It will take away the pain; you _can_ control _that_.’

Betty spoke out loud, “No. I’m not doing that. NO.”

 

Betty started to breath heavily again. She got up and paced the room several times. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she went into the bathroom and sat on the lid of the toilet seat. Still breathing heavily again, Betty had another intrusive thought, then another, ‘What if Jughead leaves you? What if he finds out that you cut yourself a couple of times in high school?’ Betty gasped and thought to herself again, ‘No. He wouldn’t do that.’ Then she had another thought, ‘Wouldn’t he? Look what happened with Archie, Betty. He seemed like such a stand-up guy. And look how that went. He only wanted one thing.’

 

Betty started to cry, still breathing heavily. She got up from the toilet seat, and fumbled around for a razor in the cabinet. She found one of Jughead’s new razors and went to sit back down on the toilet seat, ‘I have no control over anything,’ Betty’s thoughts were yelling in her head now, ‘I just want to have some fucking control for once.’

 

Betty’s left hand was holding the razor, shaking. She looked at her wrist and moved the razor. She moved it twice. Then she screamed and began to cry, regretting what she had done instantly.

…

When Jughead came home, he was completely unaware of what had transpired an hour earlier.

 

“Betty? Hey Betts, I brought us take-out. Where are you?”

 

As Jughead was walking through the apartment. He found Hot Dog clawing at the bathroom door, whimpering, “Hey Buddy, what’s up? Is Betts in the shower?” Jughead bent down to pet him when he heard muffled crying coming from inside the door.

 

Panicked, Jughead raised his voice, “BETTY?” When he didn’t receive a response, he opened the door gently.

“Betty?”

 

Betty Cooper was sitting on the floor clutching her wrist. She was crying.

 

“Betty?!” Jughead saw the sight of blood on her wrist and rushed over to her, “Oh my god, Betts. What happened?!”

 

“Juggie.” Betty began to cry again.

 

“Betty, what happened? Jughead sat down on the floor and pulled Betty into his lap. She was still crying when Jughead noticed the razor on the counter. He gently held her wrist in his hand, looking down at it, piecing together what had happened, “Betts, talk to me.” At this point, Jughead was rocking her slightly.

 

Betty was still crying, “Juggie, my mom called me. I got so upset, I didn’t know what to do. I’m ss-sorry.” She began to cry harder.

 

“Betts, _shhh_. It’s going to be okay. Betty, look at me.”

 

Betty took a deep breath and looked at him, “Juggie, do you not want to go out with me anymore? Now that you’ve seen me like this?”

 

There was fear in her eyes. Jughead saw it instantly. He knew that look all too well. It was probably akin to the one he had given her when he first found out she was ‘BlueBird’ and she knew who he was, but didn’t tell him.

 

Jughead sighed, “Of course not, Betts.” He held her, wiping a tear off her cheek, “It’s going to be okay. Listen, let me take you to the student health center on campus.”

 

“What!” Betty looked at him incredulously.

 

“Babe, listen, I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

 

“Jug, how can you say that? Are you trying to control me, too?!”

 

Jughead cradled her face, “What – _no_! Betts, I care about you so much.”

 

“You do?” Betty gulped.

 

“Yes,” Jughead smiled. He wiped a tear off her cheek, kissing her gently, “I would never tell you what to do or how to live your life, Betty. I’m only suggesting that you let me take you there because you hurt yourself. Please, just let me take you. I’ll go with, okay?”

 

Betty sniffled, “You will?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“And you’ll be in the waiting room?”

 

“Yes.” Jughead grinned.

 

“Okay, but wait – Juggie?”

 

“What is it, babe?”

 

“What if they think I’m…nuts?”

 

“Pretty sure they aren’t going to think _that,_ Betts _.”_

“But, how do you know for sure?” Betty stammered, averting her eyes from his.

 

“Look, I’ll testify on your behalf alright? Come one. Here, you can wear my coat, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

…

“Elizabeth Cooper?”

 

Betty stood up in the waiting room, Jughead grabbed her hand, “It’s okay, Betts. I’m here.”

 

“Can he come in with me?”

 

“Of course, right this way.”

…

“Hi Betty. I’m Dr. Smith. What brings you in here today?”

 

Betty looked at Jughead. She hesitated before speaking, “Earlier I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt really nervous, like something bad was about to happen to me. I started having these odd, intrusive thoughts. And…” Betty’s voice trailed off, she looked at Jughead again. She swallowed, but no more words came out. She squeezed his hand.

 

“Dr. Smith, when I came home from work, I found her in the bathroom. She had cut her wrist with my razor.”

 

Betty started to cry.

 

“It’s okay, Betty.” Jughead squeezed her hand.

 

“Betty, I’m so glad you came in here today. Listen, I think it’s great that your boyfriend took you here right away. We take this very seriously.”

 

“You do?”

 

“Yes. From the sounds of it, you may have had a panic attack. This also may have contributed to your compulsion to harm yourself. Have you ever hurt yourself before, Betty?”

 

Betty looked at Jughead, afraid of what he was going to think. She swallowed hard. “ _Yes_ ,” Betty whispered, “ _Twice_ …in High School.”

 

“Thank you for telling me. I think it would be advisable for you to talk to someone here every couple of weeks.”  


“No, _please_. I don’t want to do that.”

 

“Can you talk to your family, Betty? I think you need to talk to someone about this.”

 

Betty froze, “I just…I don’t feel comfortable talking to them about _this_.”

 

“Listen, I’m going to give you a prescription for anxiety medication. I’m going to give it to you to use this week, as needed. Jughead, will you help Betty this week?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Great. Betty, please come see us if this happens again. I think it’s great that your boyfriend cares so much about you that he brought you here. I know you’re in good hands, which is why I’m not going to force you to talk to someone right now. _But_ please come back if this happens again. He can come with you, alright?”

 

Betty nodded.

 

“And Betty, you need to do something that will help you relax. You need to try and reduce your anxiety.”

 

“Okay.”

…

When Betty and Jughead got home, Hot Dog jumped off the couch and rubbed himself against Betty’s legs.

 

Jughead grinned, “I think he was worried about you, Betty.”

 

Betty didn’t want to look him in the eyes. ‘He probably thinks you’re a freak. He won’t want to date you after this. No – that’s not true! God, I can’t bare the thought of losing him.’ Betty started to cry again.

 

“Come here.” Jughead grabbed Betty and pulled her into his chest, “Hey, it’s okay Betts.”

 

“Are you mad Jug? Do you not want to date me anymore?”

 

Jughead looked down at her and cradled her face. Then he laughed, “What? Why would you think that?”

 

“I don’t know. Because I’m broken? I feel broken, Juggie.”

 

“Betty, are you forgetting that you already told me about some of this when we were talking online?”

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot?” Betty smiled a little

 

“A momentary lapse in memory, huh?”

 

“I don’t know. I guess so.”

 

“Look, why don’t you go take a shower. Let’s get ready for bed, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Jughead grinned. He bent down to kiss her.

…

Later that night, Betty was curled up in bed. Jughead came into the room after showering. He plopped down in bed next to her.

 

“Betty, if your still worried about what happened earlier, don’t be.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.” Jughead grinned, “Come here.”

 

“Wait one sec,” Betty got up, “I’m going to grab some socks, my feet are freezing,” As she opened his closet, Betty grabbed a pair of soft, wool socks and placed them on both feet. She stood there a second before moving into the back of the closet, “What’s this, Jug?”

 

“What’s what, Betts?”

 

Betty walked out of the closet, carrying a guitar.

 

“Oh,” Jughead grinned, “ _That_.”

 

Betty smiled, “I may not be a musician, but I know _this_ is a Gibson guitar. Why do you have a semi-expensive guitar in your closet?!”

 

Jughead grinned, “Come here.”

 

Betty handed him the guitar.

 

“I used to play this in High School. I didn’t really play it in front of anyone but my family, my sister mostly.”

 

“Really?” Betty grinned, “Why haven’t you ever told me this? Wait – can you sing?!”

 

Jughead turned bright red, “ _Betty_.”

 

“Your dodging my question, Jug. _Can you sing_?”

 

“Have you ever heard of the Welsh choral tradition? They are sort of known for their singing abilities.”

 

“No.”

 

Jughead grinned, “I’m only going to do this once, Betts. And only because you’ve – _we’ve_ had a rough day.”

 

Betty did little to hide the shock that she was sure had registered on her face, “You _can_ sing!”

 

“Like I said, you’re getting this one time and one time only.”

 

Jughead began to move his thumbs over the guitar strings. Gradually, the melody took hold as he began to play. His voice started softly as first, slowly picking up the rhythm as it grew louder.

 

“Hope is your survival, a captive path I lead”

 

Jughead looked at her and then looked back at the guitar strings to concentrate as his fingers began to move again…

 

“No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a long long time

No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a thousand years

 

Nachgochema

Anetaha

Anachemowagan

 

No matter where you go

I will find you

In the place with no frontiers

No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a thousand years

 

Hale wú yu ga I sv

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga ga I sv

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga ga I sv

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga ga I sv

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga

Hale wú yu ga

 

No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a long long time

No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a thousand years

 

No matter where you go

I will find you

In the place with no frontiers

No matter where you go

I will find you

If it takes a thousand years

 

No matter where you go

I will find _you_ …”

 

Jughead’s voice trailed off as he rested his hands on the guitar. He looked up at Betty, who was wide eyed, still watching him intently.

 

“ _Jug_ …” Betty’s voice trailed off.

 

Jughead put the guitar to the side.

 

“Where did you learn to sing like _that_?”

 

“Family tradition,” Jughead grinned.

 

“No, I mean it.”

 

“I just told you?”

 

Jughead sighed, “I’m so glad you’re okay, Betts. You really scared me earlier.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Look, if anything happened to you, I just, I don’t know, it’s just…”

 

Betty moved closer to him. She climbed into his lap, straddled him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

‘Oh god,’ was all Jughead could manage to think, “Betts, I…”

 

Betty started to kiss him slowly. She pulled her lips away to look at him. He looked down at her lips again, pulling her chin back to meet his. When Betty let out a soft moan, Jughead had to use his entire willpower not to pull her nightgown over her head. Instead, he laid her down on the bed, nudging her mouth with his tongue, which she gladly gave entrance to. Slowly, Betty began to run her fingers through his hair as she delicately touched the back of his neck.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all - quick shout-out to itstenafterfour via Tumblr for making me a really magnificent aesthetic for this story. Seriously, thank you!
> 
> If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a comment. I really enjoy reading them!
> 
> Thanks. <3

12.

Betty felt safe momentarily, but night time was harder. When she woke up in the middle of the night, her eyes immediately trailing to her wrist, which was wrapped tightly in gauze. Hopeful that the events from the night before were just a dark dream, Betty touched the bandage delicately with her index finger. Then she pressed harder. Searing pain. ‘I can’t _believe_ I did that. As if a scarred-up wrist is something that Jughead is going to find attractive.’ Betty started to cry quietly to herself. The sobs came out muffled at first; she wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her T-shirt. Gradually, her sobs worsened as she took in deep breaths. Jughead sat up immediately, pulling Betty into him. Still crying, she wrapped her arms around his waist as he kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her.

 

“ _Shhh_ , it’s okay.”

 

“ _Is it_? Will it be okay?”

 

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, Betty.”

 

Jughead laid his head back down on the pillow and allowed Betty to rest on him. Gradually her sobs subsided as they each fell asleep, Betty first with Jughead following as a deep sleep overtook them both. When Betty woke up the next morning, Hot Dog was sitting at the edge of the bed looking at her, but Jughead was visibly absent. There was a large dent in the sheets from where he had been sleeping. Betty reached out and traced the indention with her fingers.

 

Jughead walked in tentatively, carrying a tray of what appeared to be breakfast, “They there, Juliet. You look like you could use something to eat.”

 

Betty sat up and smiled, “What’s all this?”

 

“I got you breakfast.” Jughead rested the tray on her lap gently.

 

“Wow. But where’s your breakfast, Juggie?”

 

“Hot Dog and I ate earlier this morning.” Jughead trailed his fingers down her face as he tucked an invisible strand behind her ear.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, the perfect quiche on your tray? It’s from the Parisian café.”

 

Betty grinned, “Well in that case, talk to me while I chow down!”

 

“Betts,” Jughead’s tone grew serious, “ _Listen_ …”

 

‘Oh god, this is it. He’s breaking up with me; I don’t think I can handle this. And he can’t handle me like _this_. And what we have, I’m not really sure what _it_ is, but I know what I’d like it to be in the future. And now it’ll all be over in a minute.’

 

“I think,” Jughead hesitated, “ _I think_ it would be good for you to go back to the student health center, just once.”

 

“Oh.” Betty looked down.

 

Jughead grabbed her hand, “Hey, I’m not going to tell you what to do, Betts. I just want to make sure you’re okay. And if you remember all our online conversations, then you would remember that I told you I went there twice; I was feeling really depressed about stuff with my dad. Look, I get why you don’t want to go there. Believe me, I get it. They wanted to put me on anti-depressants. I refused, but it was helpful to talk to someone; it’s like unloading your baggage onto a third person who isn’t there to judge you. They just offer you some solid advice for your situation.”

 

“But I don’t want them talking to my family about all this. What if my mom forces me to dis-enroll early and come home?”

 

“They can’t, Betts. Your also over 18. Legally, they cannot disclose anything to them, not without your consent.”

 

Betty was deep in thought. ‘If I don’t go, will he be angry? Maybe. No, he’s being sweet right now; there was zero mention of a break-up. Am I overreacting again? Maybe I’ll go once so he won’t worry.’

 

“Alright, I’ll go. Will you go with me?

 

“Of course.”

…

Later that morning, Betty was using the bathroom mirror; she pulled her hair taut into a high ponytail. Hot Dog was standing in the doorway as Jughead tried to step inside the bathroom. As he moved closer to Betty, Hot Dog started growling. When he took a step forward, Hot Dog angled his body around Betty’s feet.

 

“Hot Dog! What’s gotten into you?! Betty, do you see this?”

 

Jughead reached down to pet Hot Dog. He backed away from him, standing in front of Betty as a low growl echoed from his throat. Jughead stood up, “Betts, I think he thinks I’m going to hurt you - _seriously, boy_?!”

 

“Oh Jug, is it because of what happened last night? Is this _my_ fault?!”

 

“No, Betts. Don’t blame yourself.”

 

“Maybe you should take him to the vet, Juggie? He tore up my clothes and now this. He’s really been through it, haven’t you Hot Dog.” Betty bent down to pet Hot Dog, burying her face in his fur, “I’m sorry, boy.”

 

Jughead sighed, “You might be right.”

 

“I guess I’ll carry him to the car, come here boy!” Betty picked up Hot Dog.

 

Jughead called the vet quickly before heading out the door.

…

Half an hour later, Jughead parked his car in the student parking lot. Hot Dog started to bark uncontrollably from the back seat.

 

“Will you be alright going in alone? I’m sorry the vet appointment is at the same time as yours, it was out of my hands.”

 

“I’ll be okay. Plus, the vet basically said Hot Dog had PTSD; and _I know_ it was because of my crazy antics. You can’t not take him, now.”

 

“That’s not what they said, babe.”

 

“No?”

 

“No, they said that dogs get stressed apparently, like humans. They also said it causes them to act out.”

 

“Like me.”

 

Jughead smiled, “Those are your words. Not mine.”

 

Betty grinned.

 

“Come here.” Jughead pulled Betty’s chin towards him and kissed her.

…

“Why do I have to take this diagnostic exam?”

 

“This will help us better assess your situation, Ms. Cooper.”

 

“Alright, sorry.”

 

“No worries, dear. Although I must say, it was really refreshing to see your boyfriend bring you here. He must really care about you.”

 

Betty grinned.

 

“Now Betty, I want you to answer me honestly when I ask you the following questions. If you need a minute to think about them, let me know.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Let’s begin. Do you ever have intrusive thoughts that keep you up at night?”

 

Betty nodded.

 

“Do you ever have anxiety inducing nightmares?”

 

Betty frowned, nodding again.

 

“You’re doing great, Ms. Cooper. Let’s move on.”

 

“Okay.”

…

Jughead brought Hot Dog into an opaque room, setting him down on the table at the side wall.

 

“Jughead, the vet tech told me that Hot Dog is having a rough time. Can you tell me if anything stressful has been happening at your apartment lately? Any deviations from your usual routine?”

 

“Well, I was out with my girlfriend one night. When we came back, her apartment had been broken into. They took several things from her, including her television. Hot Dog saw the whole thing because we left him there. He was shaking when we found him.”

 

“That could have caused him to act out, even for a few days afterwards. And, you said he was growling at you?”

 

“Yes, this morning. I was walking towards my girlfriend and he started growling at me; he acted protective, like was going to hurt her or something. I’ve _never_ seen him act like that before. He’s almost never growled at me, Dr. Johnson.”

 

“Yes, that’s quite a deviation from the docile Hot Dog I know.” Dr. Johnson chucked as she leaned down to pet Hot Dog on the table, “Has anything else happened that you want to share with me, Jughead? I’m just trying to figure out what’s causing him to act this aggressive.”

 

Jughead got quiet, wondering if it would betray Betty’s confidence if he told the Veterinarian what had happened, “Yes, but I prefer not to go into it in vivid detail. Is that alright?”

 

“I think you’ve told me enough for now. Aggressive actions toward animals or people can be a sign of stress, and given what you’ve told me, Hot Dog is _stressed_. Many aggressive signs are accompanied by a fearful body posture and facial expression, and even aggression towards their owners. Treatment for this kind of behavior focuses behavior management techniques to assist the dog with its anxiety and anger. What you can do, Jughead, is to continue to take Hot Dog out for regular walks and take some time out of your day to play with him. You just want him to feel ‘at home’ again when he’s there with you. I can give him a very mild sedative for tonight, but I honestly don’t think he’ll require any more than that.”

…

Betty was sitting outside on a bench outside as Jughead pulled his car into the driveway. Hot Dog watched Betty from the backseat window, scratching his paws against it.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I guess.” Betty sighed.

 

Jughead put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it momentarily with his thumb, “What did they say?”

 

“Well, they said that I have ‘GED’ - generalized anxiety disorder.”

 

Jughead listened attentively, grabbing her hand. Betty laced her fingers in his.

 

“Apparently, it’s pretty similar to having a panic disorder or something. They said it causes someone to worry and feel tense without any sort of provocation. They said it can make you worry excessively, too, and that I need to reduce my stress levels. Honestly though, I could have told them that. I’ve been kind of anxious my whole life.”

 

Jughead grinned.

 

“But they were _nice_.”

 

“I told you they would be. And hey, maybe you and Hot Dog can work through your troubles together? They said he has anxiety, too! They gave him a sedative, Betts.”

 

“They _did not_ , Juggie!” Betty raised her voice as she touched his arm playfully, “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

 

“Actually, _they did_. But yes, I am. Is it working?”

 

Betty leaned in to kiss him, “ _Yes_ ,” she whispered as Jughead looked at her lips.

…

That evening, Betty and Jughead were curled up on the living room couch.

 

“Betts, are you alright? You haven’t said anything in an hour.”

 

“I don’t know, Juggie.”

 

“Look, if you’re still ruminating over what they said earlier, don’t be. A lot of people have anxiety.”

 

“So, you don’t think I’m broken, Jug?”

 

“No,” Jughead grinned

 

“Juggie, why are you smiling like that?”

 

“Can’t a guy just smile around his girlfriend? Is that a crime?”

 

“No, but you look like you’re up to something.”

 

“Fine,” Jughead conceded, “I am. On the way to pick you up from your appointment, I stopped to get you something.”

 

Betty sat up, “What is it?!”

 

“Oh no, you’re not getting it until I see you smile. Seriously, Betts. You’ve been moping the last hour. You didn’t laugh at any of my terrible jokes - you even said you didn’t want to watch tv. Need I remind you that you told me that old movies are basically your lifeblood as a broke, overworked student.”

 

“I did say that, didn’t I?”

 

“Yes,” Jughead grinned, “Was I the only one paying attention to our online conversations?”

 

“No, but please tell me what it is?”

 

“No, sorry, I don’t see even a hint of a smile from you, _so_ …”

 

Without warning, Betty started tickling Jughead. She pushed him onto the couch, so he was lying down as she straddled him.

 

“Betts, stop!”

 

“Not until you show me what it is, Jug!”

 

Jughead attempted to warn her between his screams, “Stop, you can’t do this,” Jughead laughed, “Betts, no!”

 

Jughead sat up and pushed Betty down, pressing her against the couch, “Your insufferable, Betts,” Jughead laughed.

 

“ _Juggie_.”

 

Jughead leaned down to kiss her, “Alright, I’ll show you. But please don’t tickle me.”

 

“But your face looked so funny just now. And you have the funniest laugh, Juggie.”

 

Jughead scowled.

 

“Kidding – _sort of_.”

 

“Alright, close your eyes.”

 

Betty smiled with her eyes closed. She crossed her legs and sat on the couch, “Can I open them now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Betty gasped, “What’s this? Is it leather?!”

 

“Your own journal. Since you were so keen on snooping through my stuff, I had to get you one. It’s my insurance against your curiosity.”

 

“And I still plan on snooping, just not when your around. I love it, Jug.” Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck.

 

“Can we watch the movie now, Juliet?” Jughead teased, “ _Or_ do you have somewhere to be?”

 

Betty climbed into his lap, “No, this is exactly where I want to be.” Betty leaned in to kiss him.

…

Later that night, Jughead was in the middle of reading _I Capture the Castle_ to Betty.

 

“This book is too cute, Juggie.”

 

“I picked it out with you in mind.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, it’s the same author who wrote _The Hundred and One Dalmatians_. Wait – _shit_. I should not have told you that.”

 

“ _More_ children’s stories,” Betty teased, “Do you want to be J.M. Barrie, Juggie?” Betty wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest.

 

Jughead shook his head, a smile spread across his cheeks, “Very funny. I totally walked into that one. I guess this is going to be our running joke, huh?”

 

Betty nodded as Jughead took his eyes off the page for a second, smirking at her. He was about to start another chapter of the novel, when Betty shot up from the bed.

 

“Oh-no.”

 

Jughead set the book aside, “Is everything okay, Betts?”

 

Betty turned to him, “I cannot believe I forgot.”

 

“Forgot what?”

 

“Jug, they’re having a Gala at The Met tomorrow night and I’m supposed to be there. It’s a really big deal.”

 

“What?”

 

“I can’t believe I let this slip my mind.”

 

Jughead put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing small circles against her pale skin, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’ve had a rough couple of days. What do you need to do for this event?”

 

Betty continued to appear flustered, ruminating over her distinct lack of preparation, “I have to get dressed up, fix my hair…everything.”

 

“That doesn’t sound like much of an issue, babe.”

 

Betty started wringing her fingers, “Jug, I was supposed to invite a date. It’s not really required, but it would look good.”

 

Jughead gasped, saying rather playfully, “ _Hmm_. Let’s see. Who can you ask to go with you last minute that doesn’t work Saturday night?”

 

Betty grinned.

 

Without warning, Jughead started ticking her. Then he pulled a sock off, attempting to grab one of her feet. Betty was faster, she flung her legs across the bed, moving both feet away from his grasp.

 

“Juggie!”

 

“What, I had to get you back for your sass earlier. It’s only fair.”

 

Betty pulled Jughead towards her, “Will you go with me?”

 

Jughead nodded, “It’s a date, Juliet.”

 

Betty started kissing Jughead. She paused to look up at him, his lids half shut from the contact, lips still parted. ‘He’s so damn cute.’ Betty thought to herself. She smiled, deepening the kiss with her tongue.

…

It was Saturday night. Betty was getting ready at a slightly slower pace than Jughead, who was already in a suit.

 

Jughead knocked on the bathroom door, “Betty, are you ready to go?”

 

“Not quite, Jug – the zipper on this dress – it doesn’t want to go up.”

 

Jughead hesitated, ‘Maybe you should just ask her if she needs help. It’s not as though your being intrusive. She just said the zipper wasn’t working.’

 

“Betts,” Jughead paused, “Do you want me to zip it up?”

 

“Would you?”

 

Jughead opened the door, ‘Oh shit. Her entire backside is bare. Dude, get a hold of yourself; quit filling in the gaps of what she looks like minus the dress in that head of yours. Yes, she’s beautiful, but you have to stop. She trusts you.’

 

Betty held the sleeveless blue gown in place, “Thanks, Juggie.”

 

Jughead was certain his fingers were shaking; he had a brief thought, ‘After you zip her dress up, kiss the side of her neck.’

 

Jughead quickly moved her hair to one side as he slowly zipped up her dress. He hesitated for a second, but then put his hands on hers; they were still holding the dress in place. He sighed and gently kissed the side of her neck from behind and whispered, “I’ll be right outside.”

 

When Jughead shut the door, Betty put her hands on her cheeks; they were pink, completely burning.

 

“Ready! Sorry for the delay.” Betty shut the door behind her slowly to gauge his reaction.

 

Jughead stared for a moment, but no words came out. Betty had on a long satin dress; the fabric itself was a cerulean blue color. It was formfitting, but not overdone. The dress was timeless, sexy even.

 

“Wow.”

 

“What do you think?”

 

“Betts, you look – _wow_.”

 

Betty giggled.

…

As Betty and Jughead were walking up the front steps, Jughead turned to her, “You look beautiful, Betty.”

 

Betty kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, “My date’s not bad either.”

 

Jughead was sure he was blushing now as he laced her hand in his. He felt damn lucky, knowing the blonde beside him was enjoying his company; he could get used to this.

…

After an hour-long introduction, Jughead got up to get himself and Betty some refreshments. When he returned to the table, Betty smiled at him and placed her glass on the table, “Thanks, Jug.”

 

Later, after Betty had introduced Jughead to her other coworkers and chatted with several invitees, she pulled him aside. Betty couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘He looks handsome as hell in this suit of his, _god_. Stop it, Betty. You’re at a party. There are socialites here; there’s a man that used to work for the Mayor having a gin and tonic at the bar. Keep your composure. If Alice taught you anything at all, it would be to maintain your appearance at this event; that’s the one useful thing she taught you and for once, you need to follow her advice. Just tonight.’ Betty cleared her throat and adjusted his tie, looking up at him.

 

“Betts, are you okay?”

 

“Yes. It’s just stuffy in here. Take a walk with me?”

 

“Lead the way, Juliet.”

 

Betty grabbed his hand, practically yanking him behind her.

 

“Where are we going?” Jughead grinned.

 

Betty and Jughead slipped outside quietly.

 

Betty walked a little further and stopped at the side of a stone wall. Jughead looked around, noting there were boxy sculptures enveloped in the darkness around them. They were also alone.

 

“Care to give me another tour, Juliet?”

 

Betty shook her head. She wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck and began kissing him, moaning as he began to return her affection; however, just as Jughead was about to deepen the kiss, they both stopped. A familiar voice was emanating from behind them.

 

“I thought nice girls didn’t kiss like _that_.”

 

“What the hell are you doing here, Archie?” Jughead stared.

 

Archie, in a pristine black suit, took a step forward, “Didn’t you know? My mom’s a donor to a wing here. She’s a modern art enthusiast and just _loves_ ‘the arts.’ She’s a corporate attorney who’s done some pro bono work for this place, but I’m sure you already knew that Jughead.”

 

“I don’t care about what your mother does for a living, Archie. Why the hell are you creeping on us in the shadows like that?”

 

“I wanted some fresh air. Is that a crime?”

 

“Come on, Betts.”

 

“I don’t think The Met would be happy if they knew their employee was making out with some guy in the sculpture garden. And to be honest, I’m a little surprised they let you in, Jughead. This _is_ a classy event.”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “What are you going to do, tattle to mommy? Are you stalking Betty or something?”

 

Archie stared as a smug grin appeared in the corner of his mouth.

 

“Just leave us alone, Archie. Come on, Jughead.”

 

As Archie watched the pair slip back into the museum, he chuckled to himself, “No Jughead, I’ll do you one better. I’ll get her fired.”

…

Betty attempted to steady herself in the corridor.

 

“Betty, don’t cry.”

 

“Jug, why is he even _here_.”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about him. I can’t have you getting all anxious on me now. I have a _very_ sick dog at home Betts, think of Hot Dog! We have to be strong for him.”

 

Betty laughed, “The did say not to make _him_ anxious.”

 

“And we wouldn’t want to do anything to flare up _his_ anxiety, right?”

 

Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck, “ _Right_.” She leaned in to kiss him, pressing her smile onto his mouth.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone, 
> 
> I wanted to let you know that the next two weeks are going to be very stressful for me. It may take a few extra days to post an update. Hope you understand. 
> 
> Please leave me some love in the comment section below. Thanks. <3
> 
> -OSN

13.

Betty was all smiles as they headed downtown, hand in hand. It was raining a little, just enough for droplets to fling onto their faces, makes their noses and lips wet. Jughead watched as Betty’s ponytail bounced behind her; he looked at her bright complexion as his eyes trailed to her lips, smiling because she was his.

 

“Jug, I’m so excited,” Betty turned to him as his eyes met hers and they continued walking.

 

“I know, Betts. You, me, and nothing but miles of green for days.”

 

“I just wish that spring break would hurry up and get here, Juggie.”

 

“I know, you do seem overly eager though, dragging me here to this store. What is it again, an REI?”

 

“Close enough, Jug. Anyways, we should be prepared for the inclement weather. It gets really cold and wet there. I just want to feel like we packed the right gear, you know?”

 

“You do realize you just described New York during half the year, right?

 

Betty scrunched her nose, “Don’t ruin this for me! I want rain boots, a wool scarf, the whole shebang. I don’t spend money often, but on this – yes, I’m going all out. That is, with whatever $120.00 can buy me!”

 

Jughead grinned, “Here we are.” Opening the door for her, “After you, babe.”

 

“An explorer’s heaven!” Betty spread her arms out wide as Jughead grinned at her from the sidelines, “ _What_?” Betty glanced at Jughead on her left, arms still in the air.

 

“Betty, this is just a commercial store!”

 

“It is, _Mr. Fairytale_ , whatever I want it to be!”

 

“Oh? _I see_.”

 

“That’s right. And I say it’s a backpacker’s dream, and don’t you dare make a quip about it being commercialized again!”

 

“Did my words hit a nerve there Juliet,” Jughead backed away from her, hands out defensively, “It’s an explorers paradise if you say it is, _Mrs. Fairytale_.”

 

Betty grinned, clapping her hands together, “Yay.” In her excitement, Betty had missed the emphasis Jughead had used at the end of his sentence.

 

Jughead laughed and rolled his eyes, “Alright, lead the way.”

 

“Come on,” Betty grabbed his hand, “First rainboots, Juggie. I, I mean, _we_ must have rainboots.

 

“Black for me, Betts. Judging by the gaudy display up ahead, most of their selection has ducks on them.”

 

“Not true. They have plaid – oh!” Betty gasped, sucking in her breathe.

 

“Are you alright? Is this why women go so crazy in stores, death by shopping? Please don’t let me die here, Betts.”

 

Betty turned to him, “Jug, when we first land we’ll be in Scotland.”

 

“Yes,” Jughead gave Betty a confused smile, “And?”

 

“Well, what if…”

 

“What?”

 

“What if you bought a kilt when we got there?”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “Oh god, Betts, no. I’m not doing that.”

 

“Why not, Jug?!”

 

“I’m _not_ Scottish, Betts.” Jughead grinned and shook his head, walking away from her.

 

Meanwhile, Betty turned back to the array of rainboots, smiling.

…

About twenty minutes later, Jughead found Betty eyeing two pairs of rainboots.

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

“I’m trying to decide between the plaid and the roses.”

 

Jughead laughed.

 

“Well, the least you could do is give me some input instead of snickering.”

 

Jughead pretended to be serious for a moment, “You know, Betts…I’m surprised that the roses are an option.”

 

“Oh why?”

 

“Because you told me just how basic they were, _and_ …”

 

Betty scowled.

 

Jughead laughed, “Kidding! Come here.” Jughead pulled Betty towards him and planted a light kiss on her lips, “Go with the plaid.”

 

“To match the kilt you’re going to buy, maybe?” Betty looked up at him eagerly, toying with the collar of his shirt.

 

Jughead scowled.

…

Still holding hands as they walked, Jughead turned to Betty, “Betts, I have to stop by my work to pick up next week’s schedule.

 

“Okay. I could use a coffee right about now, that four-o-clock feeling is starting to hit me.”

 

Jughead smirked.

 

After two blocks, they rounded the corner. Jughead held the door open as the two entered the abode in unison. Dilton’s back was turned to them.

 

“This should only take a sec, Betts.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“I’ll get Dilton to make you a coffee, what would you like?”

 

“Surprise me.”

 

Hearing their conversation, Dilton turned around.

 

“Hi Dilton!” Betty grinned and waved at him eagerly, taking a seat.

 

Dilton smiled, “Hey, Betty. What have you guys been up to?”

 

“Juggie and I were just out shopping.”

 

“Oh? What for?”

 

“The trip! Haven’t you started packing your things already?”

 

Dilton laughed, “No. We aren’t going to Africa, Betty.”

 

“Well, you have to have rainboots and other various necessities.”

 

“I’ll bet.”

 

Betty took out her phone and put her shopping bags on the floor.

 

Jughead went behind the counter to grab the binder next to the register.

 

Betty wasn’t paying attention to the pair as Dilton put a hand on his hip, glancing at Jughead, “So nice to see you, too, sweetheart.”

 

“Dude, shut the fuck up.” Jughead grinned as he flipped through the pages of the binder, taking a picture with his phone.

 

“Oh, Juggie, I want a coffee. Whatever you say, dear. I’ll have dear old Dilton make it for you. He’d be ever so happy to oblige! You’re so beautiful. Sometimes I forget my own name when I’m around you. And words…what are those again?”

 

“Shut the hell-up, Dilton,” Jughead said through gritted teeth, “And wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, man. Betts will see you and wonder what we are talking about.”

 

“About the fact that you’re in love with her? Ohhh– my bad. So you don’t want anyone to know? I get it. Because it’s so _not_ obvious already. Usually your kind of an asshole, but you’ve turned into a big softie around her.”

 

“How about you make her a coffee and quit being an ass to me?”

 

“Whatever you say, _sweetheart_. Did she say what she wanted?”

 

“Um, make her an iced coffee with chicory. Oh, and will you add sweet cream to it while you’re at it. She’ll enjoy that.”

 

“Sweet cream, you say? I’ll bet that’s your favorite thing about spending time with dearest ‘blue bird’ over there, getting some sweet _cream_.” Dilton knew he went a little too far, leaving his voice to trail off as he grabbed a metal container, poured milk into it, and heated the contents.

 

Jughead turned red, “For fucks sake, man. Never say that again, at least, not here.”

 

“Sorry, my bad! So, I had a joke at your expense. Forgive me, but it’s been a slow day today.”

 

Jughead shook his head, still grinning as he looked through the receipts in the folder next to the binder. Jughead looked up just as Dilton was putting a lid on the coffee, “Oh, I can take that over to her, Dilton.”

 

Dilton purposefully sped past him, “No need. Allow me.”

 

“Wait, dude…”

 

“Hey Betty, here’s your iced coffee. Juggie said to make you our house-special, cold brew coffee with sweet cream!”

 

“He did?” Betty smiled

 

“Oh yes, he said that you would just _love_ …”

 

Jughead snapped the folder shut, practically running over to them, standing in front of Dilton as if his presence would somehow shield her from whatever Dilton said next. “Thank you, Dilton.”

 

“Wow, this is delicious!”

 

“Well, Jughead likes sweet things.”

 

Betty laughed, “Well, _he_ is really sweet.”

 

“Oh? Is he, now? I take it dear old Juggie here has been showing you a good time?”

 

“Yes, he’s a perfect gentleman.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure he is. See you two later.”

 

Jughead scowled. As they left, Jughead shot Dilton a look to which he responded to by turning around and pretending his hands were moving all around his back.

 

“ _Oh god_ ,” Jughead mumbled, picking up his pace.

 

“Something the matter, Juggie?” Betty turned around, sipping her coffee.

 

“No-no. Let’s go!”

 

Jughead could hear Dilton laughing hysterically as he shut the door behind him.

…

When they returned to Jughead’s apartment. Jughead flicked on the porch lights as Hot Dog came running, effectively jumping on Betty.

 

“Hey boy, did you miss us?”

 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “I’ve been his owner for years and he only greets _you_ now. That’s nice boy, real nice.”

 

Betty placed her bags on the floor, turning to Jughead, “Do you want to shower first?”

 

“No, you go ahead. I’m going to do a load of laundry and then get started on that damn paper we have to do. Another monotonous ten-pager. No surprise there.”

 

“Oh Jug, I can do that.”

 

“My paper?” Jughead pulled her closer, resting his hands on her shoulders, “Because I really don’t want to write it.”

 

“You know I meant the laundry!” Betty smiled as Jughead kissed her.

 

“Well, if I make a dent in the assignment, we can finally start our pre-trip movie marathon.”

 

“I hope you rented _Braveheart_!”

 

“Seriously, what’s with your fixation on kilts?”

 

“I think they’re sexy?”

 

Jughead grinned, “No, I didn’t rent _Bravehear_ t. That movie has been overplayed!”

 

“Says who?”

 

“Every national television network _and_ me, that’s who!”

 

“Well, that’s your opinion. And besides, I rented a movie for us to watch, too. Maybe I should get first pick this time?”

 

“We’ll see.”

…

Betty was gliding about the shower, shampooing her hair. She stopped briefly to smell Jughead’s soap; the scent was minty and musky, and there was the faintest hint of fruity-vanilla, she wasn’t sure which of the two scents it was, and then there was his scent, which was something else entirely. Betty sighed, ‘I mean, eventually you’re going to do _that_ with him, right?’ Betty continued thinking, gliding her hands through her hair as the scent of peonies wafted down her back, ‘And lately, I’ve been feeling that weird sensation whenever we kiss, like some sort of electric jolt. It makes me feel sexy, like I need something. I wish, _maybe_ , he would kiss my neck more – and he did, once. Remember the night of the Gala?’ Betty continued humming to herself as water cascaded down her back, completely lost in her own daydreams of her raven-haired beau.

 

Later, Betty hopped out of the shower and went to grab a pair of pajamas to change into. Then she hesitated, deciding she would put on a pair of his pajamas instead. She had grown used to them now, and she liked the feeling of soft cotton on her skin; she also liked that his clothes smelled of him and lilacs, which was quickly becoming her favorite scent. Betty opened his drawer, grabbing an article of clothing. She smiled as the fibers emitted that familiar scent against her nose. Then, she dropped her towel to the floor quickly, slipping her pale-pink toenails into a pair of his boxers and throwing a gray shirt over her head; she straightened it out hurriedly. Betty stepped into the living room in his pajamas, her hair coiled tightly around her head, “Showers all yours, Romeo.”

 

“Nice pajamas,” Jughead grinned, “I see your wearing _my_ favorites again? And what will I wear later, Juliet?”

 

Betty looked down, “Um, yours are more comfortable?”

 

“And my boxers, too?”

 

“Yes?” Betty turned red as Jughead grinned.

 

Jughead had just sat down on the couch again, when Betty thought she might try something with him tonight, ‘You know, just a sexier kiss,’ Betty thought, ‘Why not, I’ve been wanting to kiss his neck and to have him kiss a bit more of me, too.’ She was feeling sexy and moody tonight, not understanding why her reserves were so lax; however, for some reason she was feeling more emboldened than normal. Betty hoped in Jughead’s lap, wrapping her arms around him, a breathy moan escaping from her lips; and just as suddenly as the thought had come, it was ruined; Betty felt something wet and warm pool above her legs. She froze, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

 

“Betty?” Jughead looked at her concerned.

 

“Uhhh, just a second!” Betty used a strange sing-song voice, which Jughead had never really heard her use before. She hoped out of Jughead’s lap and ran into his room, rummaging through her bags and suitcase.

 

“Betty, did you misplace something? Need any help?”

 

“I’m good,” Betty yelled from the other room, attempting to sound cordial, deflecting the situation as she pulled everything out of her bag, effectively spilling its contents all over the carpet’s surface.

 

‘How did I not see this coming?’ Betty thought to herself, ‘I’m on the freaking pill, this is supposed to be like clockwork.’ Annoyed, Betty continued to search frantically for a tampon. When that was clearly not an option, she decided she didn’t need something, she needed _anything_. The last thing she wanted was for Jughead to see more blood, ‘God, this is so embarrassing!” He’s going to think this is so weird.”

 

Jughead watched Betty run straight into the bathroom, “Is everything okay, Betts? Your worrying me.”

 

“Uhhh, yeah, Jug…everything’s _fine_.

 

‘There’s that weird sing-song voice again,’ Jughead thought to himself.

 

Betty stood at the bathroom counter, steadying herself with her hands, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry. Deep breaths. Okay, you’re just going to have to ask him to go to the store. What else can you do? And you know that box of tissues next to the sink isn’t going to cut it.’

 

Betty walked out into the living room, wringing her hands together lightly; she stopped in front of the couch as he watched her. Betty pulled her shirt down a little, buying herself a few more seconds. She swallowed, thinking to herself, ‘This is so embarrassing.’

 

Concerned, Jughead got up, “Betty, what is it?”

 

Betty was sure she was red now, “Jug.”

 

Jughead reached out to her, “Betty, come here. Do you want to sit down?”

 

As Jughead stepped towards her, she sprung back, “No-no. That’s okay.”

 

“Betty, your acting really strange. I told you that you could talk to me. What is it?”

 

“Jug,” Betty’s head dropped. _I’m_ …”

 

Still confused, Jughead waited for a response.

 

“Jug, I need you to go get me something at the store,” Betty sighed, looking down again, “I got my period, and it’s just, I ran out of what I need.” Betty blinked, waiting for him to say something, ‘I hope he doesn’t think this is weird.’

 

“ _Oh_.” Jughead ran his hands through his hair, looking down at the ground. When he looked up again, he smiled, “I’m not equipped for this obviously. What do I need to do?”

 

“I’ll just write it down, here, one sec.”

 

“Okay,” I can go right now, “let me find my keys.”

 

Betty ran over to the kitchen and scribbled on a notepad, “Here, sorry Juggie.”

 

“Betty, what are you sorry for?”

 

“Well, this is really embarrassing.”

 

“Betty, don’t be embarrassed. I mean, if I was married one day I’d have to learn this stuff anyways, right?”

 

Jughead paused. ‘Oh fuck, dude, did you really just say that to her? She’s going to be completely weirded out now. Grab the paper, grab your keys and get the hell out of there, stat.’

 

Betty was grinning as Jughead kissed her cheek and ran out the door, “Be right back, babe.”

…

Jughead was in his car thinking. And sure, what he had said was perfectly reasonable. But that wasn’t the problem. He was worried that he had revealed something out loud that he didn’t even know himself. He had never really thought about having a family before, why would he? He was young and just about to graduate. It’s not as though he couldn’t have a family one day or rather, it was that he had revealed his inner thoughts in her presence, something that he was now completely terrified of because - _this_ – his relationship with Betty had become something else entirely. It had become the kind of thing that sets up a permanent residence in your heart and doesn’t go away; it scared the hell out of him and god _why_ had he said that – she had _only_ gotten her period after all, it was just pure biology. And so, why did his mind wander to _that_ territory? Jughead continued to ruminate on possibilities of the future, his future _with_ Betty and what that would mean for the two of them. He wondered if he wanted her that way, like his brain had run on auto-pilot revealing something that he wasn’t ready to reveal to himself. He was cringing now at his subconscious minds own presumptuousness.

 

‘Okay deep breaths. She needs this quick, just ask the store clerk for help.’ Jughead turned the door handle.

 

Jughead glanced at Betty’s note. Yes. Okay, you can do this, just grab it and leave. Jughead breathed in and held his breath – then he looked at the items, confused. Still uncertain, he grabbed a few different things. Then his eyes trailed next to the boxes and that’s when he saw them – pregnant tests, ovulation tests, _not_ condoms – no, those were further down. Jughead breathed out, panting a little wondering why he was freaking out. As he went up to the counter, the woman checking him out smiled, then paused, “Young man,” She waited.

 

“Yes?”

 

Can I help you with something?

 

“Oh, did I buy the wrong thing? Jughead showed her the list, “No, you did well. Most guys would run screaming if they had to come in here and buy that, well, the immature ones anyways.”

 

Jughead smiled, Yeah, I suppose. I don’t mind. I just didn’t want to buy the wrong thing, that’s all.”

 

“Well, what I wanted to help you with is that if your buying all this, you’re going to need this, too. The woman pointed to the chocolate on the counter, “You know, just a suggestion.” She smiled, “Whoever she is, she’ll be wanting chocolate. Trust me.”

 

Jughead shot her a knowing grin, adding a small box of chocolates to the order, “Thanks.” He smiled at her as he headed out of the store.

…

Betty was at home, sitting on the couch. She was thinking about Jughead’s reaction. He had said he didn’t mind going to the store for her; in fact, he had implied that it was more than okay that she has asked him for help, and he would get her whatever she needed. And he had said more than that, too. ‘Oh my god,’ Betty couldn’t contain herself any longer. She was smiling until cramps started creeping around the swell of her abdomen, threatening to ruin her mood.

 

She quickly dialed Veronica before he got back.

 

“ _Ronnie_ ,” Betty whispered, “I can’t talk long.”

 

“Hey, chica. Why are you whispering?”

 

“Ronnie, I just started my period. Jug had to go buy me tampons because I was out.”

 

Veronica started laughing.

 

“It’s not funny, and he’ll be back any minute, so…”

 

“I’m low-key dying of laughter on my couch right now, Betty. I know I sound like a broken record, but please tell me you two have finally consummated your relationship, because you sound like an old married couple.”

 

“What,” betty whispered sharply, “No, of course not – _shit Veronica_ , this is embarrassing and I was looking for some support really quickly.”

 

“Well, obviously you’ve got everything covered. Oh wait, _no_ , that’s Jughead.”

 

Betty felt liquid fall from her center lightly, “ _Ronnie_.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I think I might have bled onto Jughead’s pajamas just now! What do I do?!”

 

“Wait, you’re in his pajamas?! Are you kidding me?

 

“No. Well, his boxers actually. I just dug them out of his drawer.”

 

“Um, you wash them in the exact same manner that you wash your own clothes, wait- you’re wearing his boxers?!”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh my. Sorry, trying not to laugh here,” Veronica started laughing, then stopped. “Betty, did I not tell you from the very beginning that Jughead is in love with you?”

 

“Yes, _but_ …”

 

“And now your clearly in love with him because you’re wearing his damn clothes and I know for a fact you own a zillion matching sets of jammies, even the monogrammed kind that I prefer.”

 

“Shut up!”

 

“So, it’s true?”

 

“What is?”

 

“Quit ignoring my question, Betty.”

 

“Look, he’ll be here any minute. Earlier he said something about needing to know this stuff anyways, you know, for when he’s married.”

 

“Wait – hold the fuck up.”

 

“What?”

 

“Betty, I’m sure he didn’t say _that_ exactly…”

 

“I have to go – text me okay – _bye_.”

 

….

Hot Dog raced to the door as soon as he heard Jughead step inside.

 

“Betts, I got everything as quickly as I could. Also, the lady at the store said to get you this?”

 

Betty grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Thank you, Juggie.” First, she placed the chocolates onto the counter. Then, she kissed him hard, grabbing the bag, and running into the bathroom.”

 

After about fifteen minutes had lapsed, Jughead walked closer to the bathroom door, “Betty? Hey, not to bother you, but are you alright?”

 

Betty paused, ‘What should she say?’ Betty thought, ‘Just tell him,’ “No, I don’t feel well, Juggie. I have cramps.”

 

Oh, Jughead wondered if he should stay at the door or leave her be, but decided to try his luck, “I have a heating pad, would that help?”

 

“You do?” Betty opened the bathroom door slowly, clutching her side, she was now in her normal pajamas. She had quickly pretreated Jughead’s pajamas and thrown them into the wash with a load of towels just moments prior to his arrival.

 

His eyes met hers near the kitchen, laughing, “Yes, would you like me to get it?”

 

Betty nodded.

 

“Come here, Betts. Sit on the couch. I keep it in the bathroom, just above the medicine cabinet.”

 

“Oh, Jug, I could have gotten that, it’s no big deal…” Betty started to sit up, but then grabbed her stomach, “ _Ow_. Okay.”

 

Jughead grinned, he grabbed the device and brought it over to the couch, “Arms up.” Jughead placed the heating pad onto her lap and plugged it in, “You should take it easy, Betts.”

 

Betty nodded, “Can you put in one of the movies now?”

 

“Which one?”

 

“ _How Green Was My Valley_ , that’s the one I rented for us anyways.”

 

Jughead remembered watching that movie as a kid, but he didn’t want to spoil the plot for her, “Betty, are you sure?”

 

“Yes. It’s about coal miners. I wanted to learn more about your family history, Juggie.”

 

“But Betts…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Jughead curled up next to Betty, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. Betty wrapped her arms around his waist.

…

As the movie ended, Betty was sobbing uncontrollably as Jughead held her.

 

“Yeah, I was going to warn you about that movie, Betts.”

 

“That was,” Betty sniffled, “So,” sniffling again, “Sad. Oh Jug!” Betty was still crying on Jughead, heating pad still on her stomach.

 

“Hey, it’s okay. Betts, look at me.”

 

Betty stopped, eyes and lips swollen. She willed herself to stop crying cry five seconds, not looking at him.

 

Jughead wiped tears off her face and cradled her head, “Betts, do you want to go to bed?”

 

“No,” I wanted to eat that box of chocolates and watch another movie so I don’t have to think about the one we just watched, and _oh god_ , Jug. Did anyone in your family go through that?”

 

“Well, coal mining is a rough business.”

 

“Oh,” Betty was crying again.”

 

“Okay, then,” Jughead sat up, “Putting in another movie. Let’s watch a happier classic. _The Quiet Man_ or _The Fighting Prince of Donegal_?”

 

“I don’t know.” Betty was shaking her head, crying.

 

“Okay,” Jughead put a movie in, not even looking at the title, Come here, babe.”

 

Betty sniffled. He knew she wasn’t paying attention to him as she stared in the distance, not quite looking at the screen. He was starring, too. He was watching the light from the screen hit her face, unable to imagine looking at another face that wasn’t hers.

…

Later that night, Betty and Jughead were under the covers of his king-sized bed, facing each other. Jughead had set his guitar aside as Betty was relaxed against the pillows beneath her. Jughead angled his head closer to Betty’s, grazing her bottom lip with his thumb.

 

“You played your guitar for me _again_. You said it was a one-time deal supposedly, remember?”

 

“I know,” Jughead shot her a boyish-grin, “But you needed it tonight, babe.”

 

Betty smiled as she let out a soft sigh.

 

Jughead’s eyes trailed downwards; he appeared deep in thought about something, which didn’t go unnoticed by Betty as her hands instinctively reached out to cradle his face, “What?”

 

Jughead sighed, his blue eyes meeting hers again, “Are you feeling better?”

 

Betty nodded. She leaned in to kiss him, picking up the pace as his lips ghosted her own.

 

Jughead broke the kiss apart, eyes closed. He was thinking this could be _the_ moment. He would wait a few seconds, gauge her reaction; he wanted to see if he saw _it_ in her eyes, too. He needed this moment to be flawless; he was about to say the thing he almost never said to anyone, for few had ever said it to him. He wanted to make sure she was ready to hear it because he _needed_ her to say it back.

 

“Betty, _I_ …”

 

“What is it?”

 

‘I love you,’ he _wanted_ to say aloud, ‘ _I love you, Betty_.’

 

Jughead sighed, “Nothing…”

 

“No, it’s not nothing. You looked like you wanted to say something.” Betty leaned in to kiss him again.

 

In between their kisses, Jughead managed to say, “I _really_ like kissing you.”

 

“I _really_ like kissing you, too.”

 

Jughead wrapped his hands around Betty’s neck, pulling her in closer. He would say it eventually. He was just scared.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Still under a bit of personal stress at the moment, so any comments/kudos you leave me are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> Tumblr: it-happened-one-starry-night

14.

The evening could have ended badly. _Could have._ But it didn’t. It ended unexpectedly, with soft lips against skin.

…

Jughead had flung his dark bedsheets over Betty in a bold attempt to trap her. His face hovered above Betty’s, blue eyes darting to her like pray as he held her hands against the mattress.

 

“No,” Jughead growled, “You are not leaving – _I won’t let you_!”

 

Betty laughed beneath him, enjoying the intense look on his face; he furrowed his brows in an attempt to intimidate her, willing her to stay. But, for whatever reason, Betty found his attempt to scare her futile; the idea that he was pretending to be possessive of her made her laugh. She thought it was partly because, despite being a fully-grown member of the opposite sex, he still possessed a certain amount of boyish charm, which he radiated when she got him to smile fully – and _that_ , his smile, used to be a rather infrequent occurrence.

 

“Jug, I have to go. My supervisor said the meeting was mandatory.”

 

Jughead cocked his head to the side, “Pretend your sick.”

 

Betty laughed at his audacity, “And risk losing my job? You of all people know I can’t do _that_.”

 

Jughead leaned down, inches from her lips and whispered, “But you have a job.”

 

“Such as,” Betty’s voice trailed off; she mirrored his head movement, willing him to answer her.

 

Jughead got quiet, still looking at her, his bed sheets draped above his head. His blue eyes trailed to her mouth momentarily before flicking back to her green eyes. A loose, black curl fell onto his face, covering one eye. Betty bit her lip. She loved how he looked when he was like this, charming and a little sexy. Jughead freed his hold on one of her hands and pulled it up to her cheek, running his fingers against her soft skin. _These_ were his favorite gentle moments with Betty. They were intimate enough without putting too much pressure on either of them, but they carried just enough force to leave him with lingering thoughts of her throughout the day. Jughead’s breathe stalled as he leaned down to kiss her.

 

“ _Your job_ ,” his voice trailed off as he kissed her.

 

“Kissing _you_?”

 

Jughead nodded.

 

Later, Betty stepped out of the bathroom. Jughead was still in his pajamas, lounging in bed. Hot Dog was laying next to him.

 

“And your sure you have to go?”

 

“Yes, Jug.” Betty blew him a kiss as he looked at her sleepily. Jughead frowned.

…

Betty adjusted her watch as her steps glided over the marble beneath her flats and then – ‘woah’ – _slick_. Betty almost slid across the marble, forgetting how often it was polished. Moments later, Betty walked down the hallway and stepped into her supervisor’s office quietly. She smiled at the secretary, who told her to “wait for five minutes,” as her supervisor was momentarily indisposed. She passed the time by checking her phone. Minutes later, she looked up as she heard a door open; a tall woman in a houndstooth skirt-suit stepped out from behind a mahogany door.

 

“Hi,” Betty smiled, “You wanted to see me?”

 

“Yes, dear. Come in.”

 

Betty followed her into the office. Her eyes darted to the clear window to her left; she caught a glimpse of pedestrians walking briskly across the marble steps outside. Betty turned and smiled, eyes meeting her supervisor’s. Betty hadn’t noticed it before, but the woman had not returned her pleasant countenance. She felt her heart sink, wondering if her hours were about to get cut. Without thinking, she began to wring her hands together.

 

“Please, sit.” The tall woman motioned to a worn leather chair directly in front of her desk.

 

Betty swallowed.

 

“Betty, I…” The woman sighed, “I’ll cut to the chase. There was a complaint made about you the night of the Gala.”

 

“Oh?” Betty gulped, trying not to show a reaction on her face; she was really panicking now.

 

“Betty, one of our donors, Mary Andrews, said her son felt uncomfortable when he stepped outside for some fresh air and found you, how did he put it, ‘lip-locked with your date,’ Jughead.”

 

Betty froze. _What the everlasting fuck?_ Archie had complained to his mother and now, Betty assumed, she was about to be let go. And this wasn’t a job she worked because of her love of Romanticism and classical sculptures, _no_ , she needed this job. Betty looked down in defeat, bracing herself for impact. She was almost certain she had opened a fresh would in her hand, that had healed months ago after she had began staying with Jughead. Her body grew limp beneath her; she was too dejected to care, though.

 

“ _Sorry_ ,” Betty whispered.

 

The tall woman’s tone changed a little, “Betty…”

 

Betty stood up, “I understand. Can I pick up my last paycheck today?”

 

The woman’s tone grew softer, “Betty,” she paused as Betty waited for her response, “I’m not going to fire you.”

 

“You aren’t?”

 

“No, dear. Listen, because Mary Andrews has done _a lot_ to revamp our Modern Art wing, it is my obligation to give you a warning. But this is just that, _a warning_.”

 

“It is?”

 

“Yes,” the woman waited a second before continuing, “You’re not in trouble, Betty.”

 

Betty blew out a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding in. She stammered, “I’m _n-not_ in trouble?”

 

“No, dear. Just…keep the PDA to a minimum next time.”

 

“I will, I’m _so_ sorry. Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For not firing me.”

 

“Betty, you really think I’d fire you for kissing your boyfriend – who, if I may say so, seemed like a very genteel young man when I met him.”

 

“Yes?”

 

The slender woman shook her head, drumming her pen and manicured nails against the desk. She managed a light smile, “Enjoy the rest of your day, dear.”

…

Later that night, Jughead was cooking dinner when he heard Betty walk in, effectively slamming the apartment door behind her.

 

His familiar voice called her name, “In here, Betts.”

 

Jughead turned around. As he saw her step into the kitchen, he noticed something was off by the way she was carrying herself, “Betty?”

 

“So, _that_ little meeting I was at today…”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Apparently, Archie complained to his mom about us kissing and she, in turn, decided it was best to take it up with my supervisor.”

 

“Wait, what?” Jughead stared at her incredulously.

 

“Yes.”

 

Jughead felt heat spreading to his chest and neck; his jaw clenched, too, but it was out of his control now. _He was livid_. He pictured Archie with a smug grin on his face as his mother complained to Betty’s supervisor. And he was worried, too, that this could trigger Betty’s anxiety.

 

“ _What the fuck_.”

 

“Jug, it’s okay.”

 

“No, it’s _not_ okay.” He hadn’t meant to raise his voice. As the words slipped out, he realized how harsh he sounded. His fear was real. He could taste it, feel it, fear drumming into his head and making his veins bulge.

 

Noting his clenched fist and tightened jawline, Betty stepped towards him.

 

“Jug, it’s fine. They didn’t fire me. My supervisor said to just avoid ‘PDA’ for the time being.”

 

“Well, _fuck_. So, kissing my girlfriend is a crime? Goddamn, Archie. I could punch his smug face.”

 

Betty reached for him, but he backed away, still visibly upset by what she had told him, “ _Jug_.”

 

“I need to clear my head, Betts.” Jughead headed towards the apartment door.

 

Betty called out to him, “I’m fine, really. You don’t have to get so upset.”

 

Jughead turned around at he opened the front door, “This is not okay.” Without saying another word, he walked out of the apartment door, slamming it behind him. Betty stared after him.

 

After he had walked several blocks, Jughead stopped. He knew he had overreacted, but he had been unable to think straight for the last – how long had it been? Half an hour? He felt something warm and wet stream down his left eye, which he disregarded. He brushed it away quickly with his hand, but it happened again. _Tears._ He loved Betty. _God, did he love her_. The day he found her clutching her wrist on the bathroom floor he vowed to protect her. And if he was honest with himself in this moment, he was just worried that Archie’s little shit-stunt would cause her to hurt herself again.

…

Betty was sitting on the couch when Jughead reentered the apartment. There eyes met when he walked into the living room. Betty stood up, stepping closer to him.

 

“Jug?”

 

Jughead knew he needed to apologize to her. He had acted irrationally, certainly not one of his finest moments, _but isn’t that what you do when you’re in love? You act irrationally?_

 

Betty looked at him. As if his brain was running on autopilot, Jughead lifted Betty up in one smooth motion. Her legs were partly wrapped around him, his hands still on her waist. He walked her over to the kitchen counter, setting her down gently. At this point his adrenaline – and testosterone – had gone into overdrive. He _needed_ to touch her, and he knew that was wholly inappropriate, given all the yelling he had just done.

 

Jughead sighed, pressing his forehead to hers, “ _I’m sorry_.”

 

Betty’s eyes were closed as she let out a gentle sigh against his mouth, “ _I know_ , it’s okay.”

 

Their foreheads were still touching when Jughead closed his eyes. His voice broke, “I care about you _so much_ , Betty.”

 

Jughead sighed. He let his face drop, burying it in the warmth of her skin. Betty’s eyes were still closed as Jughead’s lips began to trail down her neck. At first, he minimized the contact, only planting a gentle kiss there. His lips where still ghosting her neck as her hands trailed around his waist, moving underneath his gray sweater. Jughead sighed against her neck. But then he heard Betty whisper his name, and all at once he felt as though his whole body was on fire.

 

Jughead breathed against her skin as he kissed it again. He let his mouth trail down her neck and kissed it several times before his lips stopped at the white shirt covering her shoulder. He couldn’t help himself; he gently pulled the shirt aside, exposing her bare shoulder. He kissed it. Then, Jughead heard what sounded like a moan emanating from Betty – ‘yes, she just said your name. Dude, _stop_. You’re getting too riled up from the contact’ – he froze.

 

“Juggie?”

 

Jughead looked at her, her eyelids still closed a little

 

Taking a step back from her, Jughead said quickly, “I… _I need a shower_.”

 

Confused, Betty watched him bolt to the bathroom. Seconds later, she heard the unmistakable sound of running water.

…

Jughead placed his hands against the wall as he showered. He looked down as the water cascading down his back, his black hair, now dripping wet, covering his eyes. He would sleep on the couch tonight. _He had to._

…

It was midnight. Betty was still laying in bed. She wondered why Jughead hadn’t come in already. She slipped out of his room quietly. He was laying on the couch in his pajamas, a blanket haphazardly thrown around his legs.

 

“Jug?”

 

Jughead looked up.

 

“Why aren’t you in bed? It’s quiet in there without you. _I miss you_.”

 

Jughead paused. He didn’t want to tell her what he had been thinking in the shower earlier. He wanted to make love to her, have her whisper his name over and over again as he kissed her neck.

 

“I just thought it would be better if I stayed out here tonight, Betts.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’m sorry about earlier, the way I behaved. Please, just understand that I was upset with Archie and not you. You didn’t do anything wrong, babe.”

 

“ _I know_ ,” Betty whispered.

 

“Because, Betts, _I_ …”

 

“Care about me so much?” Betty said it quietly, grinning.

 

Jughead sighed, “ _Yes_.” For whatever reason, his admission – although it wasn’t his declaration of love to her – brought him some temporary relief from his anxiety from the events that had transpired earlier that evening.

 

Betty sat down on the couch, her green eyes shimmered as they locked with his. She reached out, brushing her hand over his, “What if I wanted you to sleep in the bed, though?”

 

“You do?”

 

Betty nodded, “Can I ask you something?”

 

“ _Okay_.”

 

“Why did you stop kissing me earlier?”

 

Jughead was sure he was blushing; his skin was hot. He looked down at the carpet, his gaze not quite meeting her eyes, “I just needed to stop.”

 

Betty leaned in, delivering a long, sensual kiss against Jughead’s mouth. When she pulled away, he was seeing stars. Betty grabbed his hand. Minutes later, they had sunk into his bed. Jughead was staring at the ceiling, Betty’s arms already wrapped tightly around his waist. Just when he figured she had drifted off to sleep, he felt a feather-light touch against his neck. Then he felt it again and again. Betty was kissing his neck, running her lips against his skin gently as he had done to her. Betty’s mouth moved upwards, she began to kiss his lips. Jughead moaned. He cradled her head in his hands, kissing her back with equal fervor. He planted a kiss against her neck, causing Betty to give up the softest sigh as she wrapped her arms around him. They didn't kiss long, though. Later Betty fell asleep and it wasn't long before Jughead's eyes closed, too.

…

Days later, Betty and Jughead had piled their suitcases into his car.

 

“I am so ready for this!” Betty squealed.

 

“Me too, babe.”

 

“We had better leave. We don’t want to be late to the airport.”

 

“We won’t be,” Jughead leaned in to kiss her.

 

Betty interrupted the kiss, “I need coffee! Can we stop by your work, please!”

 

Jughead laughed, rolling his eyes, “Anything for you, Juliet.”

…

Betty was sipping on a dark, iced latte as she was bouncing around in the airport terminal.

 

“Slow it down, Betts.”

 

“No way. I’m enjoying wearing my gear today _and_ I’m getting hyped up on caffeine.”  


“I see that.”

 

Betty leaned in to kiss him.

 

“You taste like coffee.”

 

“Well, you smell like coffee.”

 

“Touché.”

 

Betty found Veronica sitting on the outer aisles of the plane as Jughead stowed their luggage above the seats.

 

“Hey Chica, I saved you guys these seats.” Veronica looked over at Jughead and waved. He gave her a casual nod, still working on securing the luggage.

 

“Thanks, Veronica.”

 

Betty grinned, bucking her seat belt. Veronica angled her head so she could look at Jughead, who was still struggling with the luggage. She wiggled her eyebrows up and down, smirking and looking directly at Betty.”

 

“ _Stop_.” Betty laughed quietly, “He’ll see you.”

 

As the plane left the ground, Betty linked her arm with Jughead’s and rested her head on his shoulder. She smiled at him, completely oblivious to the angry pair of eyes watching their movements from the back of the plane.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead arrive in Scotland. And so it begins...
> 
> This chapter was extraordinarily difficult to write. Please leave me some love in the comment section below. It would mean a lot to me. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much to everyone who has written me comments and left kudos.

15.

About five hours into the plane ride, Jughead shifted the divider between he and Betty’s seat so that she could sleep on him. They had to keep their seatbelts fastened, but it was the next best thing since they couldn’t sleep together in a bed for hours. Back at his apartment, Betty routinely piled about three pillows on her side of the bed, placing a pillow between her legs to align her spine. Betty had called it her “comfort pillow” and Jughead had laughed at her. He used to tease her and pull it out from between her legs saying that “he was her pillow now” and that he only had so many pillows to share. On some nights, Jughead ended up wrapping his arms around Betty, effectively spooning her as he tucked her head underneath his chin. And _that_ was how Betty preferred to sleep anyways; she liked being tangled up in him. With Jughead acting as her comfort pillow, her anxiety had all but dissipated now.

 

The plane ride to Scotland was no different. Betty knew that Veronica was going to give her a lot of shit once they landed. And _yeah_ , she had basically slept on top of him during the latter part of the plane ride, but that was because she wanted to be comfortable. They had already watched movie after movie on the long flight as the plane glided above the Atlantic Ocean. The flight attendants appeared to stay awake with ease. They shut off the plane lights after midnight, enveloping the cabin in a hazy darkness.

 

Late into the evening, Jughead dozed off for an hour as Betty woke up to Veronica’s grinning face. When Betty attempted to ignore her by covering her face in Jughead’s sleeping chest, she pulled her face up again only to hear Veronica whisper, ‘ _you should_ _fuck him senseless_.’ Veronica winked and muffled her laugh. In response, Betty looked up at Jughead’s sleeping face above her, licked her lips, wiggled her brows at Veronica, and buried her head back into his chest. Veronica could no longer contain herself. She snorted and started laughing hysterically which elicited a look from the person sitting in front of her. Jughead woke up, blinking his eyes a few times. Veronica froze and stifled another laugh. He looked down at Betty and mouthed ‘hey.’ Betty smiled innocently. She moved her head up to give him a lingering kiss, then wrapped her arms around him again. Veronica in turn laughed a little, which made Jughead turn to look at her. Veronica feigned ignorance; she simply acknowledged him with a grin and grabbed a duty-free magazine from the seat in front of her.

 

When the plane had nearly landed at the Glasgow airport, Jughead nudged Betty gently. In response, she smiled and rubbed her eyes. As the plane pulled into the terminal, students started shifting around in their chairs and unbuckling their seatbelts. Jughead began to pull their luggage out from the overhead compartment. He also handed Veronica her small carry-on and smiled, to which she whispered to Betty, ‘such a fucking gentleman.’ Betty grinned and mouthed, ‘he _always_ is.’

 

When the students began exiting the plane one by one, Betty and Jughead were holding hands in the aisle, waiting for the students ahead to move. As they did, Jughead felt someone from behind shove past him. When he turned to see who it was, his eyes locked with Archie Andrews. Neither said a word, but they exchanged heated glances. Jughead looked at Archie with disdain, his somber expression quite evident as Archie fixed his eyes on Jughead with an unwavering stare. Betty gasped, feeling Jughead clench her hand in his; she felt a slight tug as if he was about to lunge forward.

 

“ _Jug_ ,” Betty whispered, pulling him around.

 

Jughead turned meeting Betty’s eyes, which softened at her expression. “If he so much as looks at you, babe.”

 

Betty put her hand on his cheek, “I only have eyes for you Jug, so I won’t be looking at him anyways.” Betty stepped onto her tiptoes to kiss him, allowing her gaze to linger for a moment.

 

Jughead relaxed as Betty pressed her lips to his once more. Feeling reassured, he sighed as his fingertips traced the outline of her jaw. As they left the plane, Veronica and Betty’s eyes locked; neither said anything, but Betty knew Veronica was reacting to the brief encounter she had just experienced with Archie.

 

After many students had reclaimed their luggage, they piled onto a two-story bus. It was dark out; the night sky was covered in a black and navy hue as the bus rolled down the pavement. The bus continued to glide along the road, which was a blend of cement and cobblestone, with ease. After about twenty minutes, the bus pulled up to their destination. They would be staying in what appeared to be a castle-like boarding house, _Pollok House & Gardens_. Betty and Jughead hauled their luggage inside, following their peers up the front steps. The interior of the spacious Edwardian country house was reminiscent of a Scottish castle; it consisted of wooden paneling along the walls, velvet tapestries, and carved motifs in each corner of the vast room. The interior was darkened by low-hanging burgundy drapes; at the center of the entrance, a wooden staircase led up to the student’s rooms.

 

“Here babe, let me get that.” Jughead rolled Betty’s luggage in the room she was sharing with Veronica; the room assignment had been fixed according to the itinerary.

 

“Can’t you stay?” Betty grabbed his hand, linking her fingers with his.

 

“I can’t, Betts. We have separate rooms for the next few days. I don’t know about Ireland, though.”

 

“Well, can you _find out_ …” Her voice trailed off as she tucked one of his unruly hairs behind his ear, leaning in to kiss him. The pair had unwittingly had failed to realize just how intimate their quick exchange had been; Betty’s response to Jughead had been overtly sensual; when she leaned in to kiss him, he began to wrap his hands around the small of her waist.

 

“Get a room, you two.”

 

Jughead broke the kiss as Betty turned around to look at Veronica.

 

“Just kidding, sheesh. But if you two, uh, _need_ to borrow the room, let me know.”

 

Veronica grinned as she looked over at their shared bathroom; it was adorned with crown-molding and wood paneling similar to the first floor. Then, she ran her finger down the expanse of the door frame approvingly as she remarked about the ornamentation.

 

“ _Wow_. This place is exquisite.” Veronica laughed. “It’s _really_ fucking romantic here. Don’t you think, guys? Can you just imagine the people who stayed here before, men making love to women in their kilts. _Swoon_! They probably didn’t bother undressing and just _fucked_ standing up…”

 

Jughead blushed at her remark as he fumbled with his suspenders underneath his jacket. Betty looked down, embarrassed by her friends’ impropriety. She knew Veronica had likely said that in front of them on purpose; as always, her lack of decorum was palpable. The remark was ‘ _so Veronica_ ,’ Betty thought to herself, rolling her eyes; she glanced over at Jughead apologetically, hoping he wasn’t too put off by what she had said.

 

“ _Anyways_ , we should get some sleep. Will you excuse Betty and I, Romeo? I’m going to turn in for the night.” Veronica began unzipping her suitcase, draping a rose silk robe over her arm.

 

“I’ll see you later,” Jughead was still red. He turned to leave, purposefully avoiding eye-contact with Veronica.

 

As soon as Jughead left the room, Veronica turned to look at Betty.

 

“ _So, Betty_ ,” Veronica began fumbling with the clasp on her patent leather Rimowa suitcase, “Has Jughead told you that he loves you yet?”

 

“Well, _no_ , but…”

 

“Well, _he does_.”

 

“I kind of want him to say it first,” Betty admitted quietly.

 

Veronica rolled her eyes as she headed to the bathroom, dousing her complexion with a blue bottle of Erno Laszlo, “In all honesty, I don’t think it matters _who_ says it first. I think you and Jughead are being overly timid about the whole thing, Betty.”

 

“ _It does to me_ ,” Betty whispered.

 

Betty laid on her bed and sighed. Sleep overtook her as she shut her eyes, drifting into a dream. Hours later, she awoke to the sound of a gentle knock at the door. In response to the knock, Veronica Lodge came out of the bathroom while threading a pearl earring into her left earlobe.

 

“ _I’ll get it_!” Veronica’s tone was playful as she opened the door.

 

“Come in, Romeo.”

 

“Hey, Veronica.” Jughead’s gaze drifted over to Betty, “Betts, do you want to get breakfast?”

 

“Of course, Jug. I sort of told V I would go with her though. Can we all go?”

 

“ _Sure_.”

 

Veronica smiled graciously.

 

Jughead adjusted his beanie, “ _Also_ ,” He paused, as if to catch his breath, “I uh, I need to pick something up in town. You guys can come, if you’re up for it.”

 

“I’ll throw on some clothes!” Betty scrambled to her feet and ran into the bathroom. “I just need five minutes, I swear.” She grabbed a toothbrush, turned the faucet on, and slammed the bathroom door shut.

 

Veronica took this opportunity to interrogate Jughead (at least, that’s what her _look_ amounted to in his mind) with a couple of silent glances. He cleared his throat, burying his hands in his pockets under her discerning gaze. He wondered if Veronica had figured out exactly how he felt about Betty. He decided she already had as he shifted nervously while standing. Veronica, he _also_ decided, was _a lot_ sharper than she let on.

…

Later that morning, Jughead held the door open to a dimly lit pub; it was less than two miles from the place they were staying.

 

“Ever the gentleman. Thank you, Jughead.” Veronica walked into the pub ahead of them.

 

Betty smiled and grabbed his hand. “This looks like something out of a travel guide, doesn’t it?” Betty’s green eyes darted to the expansive ceiling, which was framed with curved, wooden beams; the white ceiling tiles looked slightly Victorian.

 

“That’s because it is, Betts. The Old College Bar _is_ one of the oldest pubs in Glasgow. I think it’s listed on the ‘visit Scotland’ website.

 

A waiter with a thick Scottish accent greeted them and placed them in a corner booth next to the dimly lit bar. The waiter, who appeared to be in his early twenties, glanced fondly at Betty, who’s eyes were on the menu the entire time. Jughead, however, noticed his admiration immediately; he put his arm around her chair, placed his hand firmly on her shoulder, and left it there. Veronica watched the exchange in silence, looked at Jughead as if to say, ‘You are _so_ fucking in love with her, dude. Jealous much?’ Jughead slanted his eyes at the waiter, who raised his eyebrows after he got the hint. Then, Jughead cleared his throat and glanced down at the table.

 

Betty was looking over the menu, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Juggie, can I assume “Lorne sausage” and “tattie scones” are similar to our breakfast foods back in New York?”

 

“Yes.” Jughead laughed, “At least, I _hope_ so.”

 

After their meals were brought out, they ate the new fare at a leisurely pace. Veronica spoke up as Betty placed a piece of rye toast in her mouth, “Jughead, do you mind if I borrow Betty for an hour? I was _thinking_ it would be nice to have some girl time before we attend the Scottish cultural heritage festival tonight.”

 

“No, I don’t mind. We can meet here later before we head back to the room and check in with our schools reps. That’s fine.”

 

“Great, I’ll be right back.”

 

As Veronica got up, Jughead turned to Betty.

 

“Betts, can I ask you something?” Jughead waited until Veronica was out of sight before he continued.

 

“Okay.” Betty was still munching on toast and jam. She took a swig of tea to clear her palette.

 

“Um,” Jughead paused, “I was looking over the itinerary for Ireland and there were some places that I wanted to see that weren’t listed on there.”

 

Betty smiled as she took another swig of tea, “Why am I not surprised that you have your own sight-seeing list.”

 

“Well, _I do_.” Jughead grinned. “And that’s what I wanted to ask you about. Would you want to, _maybe_ …”? He hesitated momentarily; he was worried about the implication of what he was about to ask her.

 

“What is it?” Betty smiled as she placed her tea down.

 

“Would you _maybe_ want to do some sightseeing of our own and perhaps stay somewhere alone for a few days? I checked with the person who put the program together. The director said it isn’t a problem as long as I let them know where I’m going. They also said I have to go with another student. Those were the only restrictions they gave me.”

 

“ _Oh_ ,” Betty looked surprised.

 

“Never mind, forget I said anything. I just thought the itinerary was a little juvenile, which is _why_ …”

 

Betty cut him off with a kiss. When she pulled back, his eyes were still closed. She whispered, “ _I would love to_ ,” before Veronica could come back to the table and overhear them. She added quickly, “ _Where do you want to go_?”

 

“I found a _cott_ …”

 

Before Jughead could properly finish his response, Veronica came back to the table and set her black leather purse down, “You guys look cozy. Did I miss an interesting discussion while I was gone?”

 

For a brief moment, Jughead swore Veronica _knew_. He just hoped she would keep her perspicacious abilities to herself.

 

Betty didn’t want Veronica to ask anything further about their brief conversation, so she said quickly, “Not at all, were ready to go in town whenever you are!”

 

“Great, _let’s go_!”

…

After a long stroll through the city, the group came to a standstill. The trio stood in front of Braehead, Glasgow’s shopping center as Veronica grabbed Betty’s hand. “See you back here in an hour, Jughead.”

 

Betty turned around, as if pleading with him; she silently mouthed, ‘ _help me_.’ Jughead smirked, turning on his heels and walked off.

 

“ _Veronica_ ” Betty hissed suspiciously, “What are you up to and what are we _really_ doing here?”

 

“ _We_ are going to find you an outfit to wear for tonight. I’m going to help you look sexy, babe! You’ll thank me later.”

 

“ _Why_?”

 

Veronica rolled her eyes at Betty, “So that you two can stop eye-humping each other. You looked like you wanted to pounce on him at breakfast, Betty.”

 

“ _I did not_.”

 

Veronica turned and looked at her, eyebrows raised.

 

“Okay, maybe _a little_.” Betty was red-faced again, “He’s a good kisser.”

 

“You do know your blushing furiously right now, don’t you? Is there something you’re not telling me? Spill the deets, girl! I _need_ details. And don’t leave anything out.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“No, it’s not _nothing_. You two have grown closer since our last chat. And don’t even try to deny it. I can fucking tell.”

 

“Fine,” Betty sighed, “When we were at his apartment the other night, “We had a fight - _sort of_.”

 

“Wait, you and Jughead fought?”

 

“Well, _no_ , not really.”

 

“So, what was it then Betty?”

 

“It was Archie. He tried to get me fired from my job by telling his mother, who went and told my supervisor, that Jughead and I were ‘necking’ at the Gala we went to last month. And we weren’t, not really. Archie interrupted us before it could even turn into _that_.”

 

“Wait, what? Fucking Archie said that?! _Oh_. So, that’s why he looked at you guys like _that_ on the plane.”

 

“Yeah.” Betty looked down, fumbling with her ice-blue cardigan. “Jug got really mad, more so about Archie and not me. He kind of stormed off.”

 

“What? I can’t even picture him doing that!”

 

“ _I know_. He hardly ever gets upset. When he came back he said he was really sorry for losing his temper and that he ‘cares about me so much.’ Betty bit her lower lip.

 

“Why didn’t Jughead admit he was in love with you when all this went down?! I’m dying here, Betty. Tell me he said something, _anything_.”

 

“Well, not exactly.”

 

“Then what happened?!”

 

“He carried me to the kitchen counter and started kissing my neck. He pulled my shirt down a little and then kissed my shoulder, and he _might_ have licked it just a little bit.” Betty blushed at the memory of the contact, “The kisses were just, _yeah_.” Betty sighed.

 

“ _OH - MY - GOODNESS_.”

 

“What?”

 

“Had you guys ever made out before?”

 

“Ronnie.”

 

“Well, what happened next?”

 

“Um, he kind of stopped. He started breathing really heavily and sort of pulled himself away.”

 

“What!”

 

“He went to take a shower. I found him trying to sleep on the couch afterwards.”

 

“You’re kidding! Why did he stop?”

 

“I _think_ he’s worried about hurting me like Archie did or something. But what happened with Archie isn’t even on my radar anymore.”

 

“Did you let him know that? Because you need to, Betty.”

 

“Well, I sort of _showed_ him.” Betty tried to hide her embarrassed smile from Veronica by covering her mouth with her hands clasped together.

 

“Betty! What did you do?!”

 

“I pulled him back to bed and I, uh, started kissing his neck.”

 

“So, you two made out?”

 

“A little, _yeah_. Okay, more than a little. And he sort of got _excited_ ,” Betty turned red, “I could feel _him_ , so um, we cooled it down a little. Then we fell asleep.”

 

I’m dying here Betty, this is the slowest romance I’ve _ever_ heard of. Veronica shook her head, “Come on, let’s go dress shopping. Jughead will be banging you by the end of the night.”

 

“Do you have to say _that_ ,” Betty whispered.

 

“Don’t pretend that you haven’t thought about him that way. You’d only be lying to yourself at this point.”

…

Veronica grabbed Betty’s hand and pulled her in the direction of an upscale store called, “Bòidheach.” After Veronica had thumbed through several dresses, she grabbed a green dress that appeared to be made of velvet, draped it over her arm, and handed it to Betty.

 

“Betty, give the dress a try. Trust me, I have an eye for this sort of thing.”

 

“I don’t know, Veronica.” But despite Betty’s hesitation, she conceded to her friends’ demand. She walked into the dressing room and looked at Veronica again, her expression still a little uncertain.

 

“Humor me.”

 

Betty took of her rainboots and pulled her jeans down her lean legs. Then she threw her sweater over her head and unhooked her bra. Although Veronica was intrusive at times, she one-upped everyone when it came to fashion _and_ color. Betty had to acknowledge it – _the girl knew how to dress_. After five minutes, Betty stepped out from the dressing room.

 

One of the employees at the front of the shop, a pale young woman with auburn hair, eyed Betty’s dress. Betty heard her whisper something to her coworker, “Caileag Bhòidheach - a 'coimhead!” She felt a little self-conscious at their use of what she assumed was Gaelic. She had no idea what they were saying, but she hoped it was good.

 

“You look _so_ fucking sexy, Betty. I swear, you don’t even realize just _how_ pretty you are.”

 

“I do?” Betty noted that the dress was a little low-cut for her taste, but it’s emerald hue suited her well. She peered down at the dress, rubbing the lush fabric between her fingers in admiration.

 

Veronica turned around when she heard the woman behind her whispering, “What do you guys think?”

 

“A bheil i a bheil bràmair?! Dè a fortanach guy!”

 

“Come again?” Veronica smiled.

 

“ _Sorry_. Does she have a boyfriend? He’s a lucky guy!”

 

Veronica turned back around to look at Betty, “Oh yes. And he’s going to want to hit _that_ tonight!”

 

The employees laughed in agreement, “Tha ia 'coimhead sexy!”

 

Veronica required no translation when she heard the last part of their sentence _. Sexy._ Betty’s cheeks flushed again.

 

“We’ll take it!”

…

Veronica was insistent on doing Betty’s hair and makeup. Betty decided not to fight her as she began blasting music from her MacBook pro and went to work.

 

Veronica dusted Betty’s neck with a light shimmer, “Just one more finishing touch, babe.”

 

“That tickles.”

 

“Here, dab some of this on your wrist!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Just trust me, it has pheromones in it.”

 

“Pheromones?! _Veronica_! Aren’t those naturally occurring hormones that send signals to the opposite sex that trigger a powerful sexual response from them?! Why are you even carrying this type of perfume with you?!”

 

“Never you mind,” Veronica whispered. “Okay, now spin around for me so I can see you!”

 

Betty complied. As she turned, velvet encapsulated her ankles.

 

“Perfect!” Veronica rested her hands on Betty’s shoulders, “Are you sure that you don’t want to borrow the room later?”

 

Betty shook her head, “No, _not yet_.”

 

“If you change your mind, just let me know.”

 

Betty’s phone began to vibrate on against the marble countertop. “Jug just texted me. He said he’s waiting for me outside.”

 

“Let’s go. I want to see the look on that boy’s face when he sees you in _this_.”

…

Jughead leaned against the stone wall in the back of the estate. He glanced down nervously at his ensemble for the evening. He was embarrassed as hell by what he was wearing, but he did it for her (she was the only reason he would ever wear _it_ , anyways). Shifting nervously, he backed away from the wall and stood up to straighten his posture. There were lights all around the backside of the estate, which emitted a low glow against the green grass. Jughead looked down momentarily, placing his hands in his jacket. He pinched the fabric, as if grasping for an invisible object to anchor himself to.

 

“Jug?”

 

Hearing his name, Jughead look up. And then, _he saw her_.

 

Betty was wearing a lengthy gown made of green velvet. Around its edges, there were splashes of aqua, which colored the small Celtic-knots that decorated the dress from top to bottom; the dress had a plunging neckline and was shimmering against the tiny lights outside. It blended with the glass beneath their feet, and magnified the color of her eyes.

 

Betty was taken aback when she realized what he was wearing. She grinned as she glided towards him. When they were standing face to face, she put her hands on his collar and traced its crisp edges, “Did you wear this just for me?” Betty leaned down to glance at his kilt, allowing her fingers to brush against its hem.

 

“Isn’t this what you wanted? I just wanted to make you happy, babe.”

 

Betty bit her lower lip and nodded.

 

Veronica walked towards the pair, “Look at you, Romeo. Did you buy that kilt in town earlier?”

 

“I did. By the way, it’s _technically_ the ‘Jones’ Tartan.”

 

Betty giggled at his admission.

 

“You two are so fucking cute. I’ll see you guys later.” Veronica winked at Betty when Jughead looked down at her dress again.

 

Jughead sighed as Betty wrapped her hands around his neck, “Betty, you look _so_ …”

 

“What?” Without thinking, Betty bit her lower lip again and averted her gaze.

 

Jughead leaned in to her ear, lips ghosting over it gently as he whispered, “You look _so sexy_. I can’t believe your mine.”

 

Betty closed her eyes as Jughead pulled her against him. He kissed her gently, cradling her face in his hands. As their lips parted, he pressed his forehead to hers.

…

When they arrived at the festival, Betty turned to Jughead, “I’m going to get a pint before the show. Do you want one?”

 

“Well, it wouldn’t feel right to start our trip without some Scottish ale, would it? I’ll go with you, babe.”

 

The pair sat down at a wooden table nearby as Betty downed her drink. Feeling frisky (and who was she kidding, she felt sexier in the dress; Betty reminded herself to thank Veronica for meddling this time) she went to get another. After about an hour passed, Betty was feeling buzzed after imbibing the second large pint of Loch Fyne, giggling as she put her glass down.

 

“You okay, babe?”

 

Betty nodded, “Come one. I’ve been dying to see some Highland dancing!” Betty yanked Jughead towards the stage in the distance.

 

“Careful, Betts. _Kilt_. Remember?”

 

“Oh, I didn’t forget.” Betty winked at him.

 

After they took their seats, Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand. She laced her fingers is his as light began to spill onto the stage below, illuminating the dancers in the front row. As they began to move backwards, the lights glided over the dancers supplanting their positions one by one. Jughead enjoyed watching Betty react when the dancers picked up their pace; their skilled footwork made them appear to glide around the stage. They were floating. No, _he_ was the one floating.

 

Towards the end of the show, Betty whispered in his ear, “Take a walk with me after?”

 

Jughead nodded.

 

By the time they left the show, the field had grown dark.

 

“Betts, before I forget to tell you, I’ve been looking at post-graduation positions for about a month now. I know I mentioned it to you before when we used to talk online all the time. Anyways, I applied for that editorial position last week. It wouldn’t start until after we graduate and doesn’t mean I’ll get it, _but_ …”

 

“ _You will_.” Betty cut him off with a kiss.

…

They walked around leisurely for another hour, enjoys various activities at the festival. Jughead was too distracted to care, though. He could see a faint outline at the side of Betty’s dress; the brief view of her side-boob was making him damn near lose his mind. Perhaps it was the beer he had drank earlier, it had emboldened him. He had the urge to go somewhere private and pull the straps of her dress down. Only this time, he wasn’t feeling as guilty about it. Around midnight, Betty started yawning against his shoulder, so they headed back to the room, which was a short walk from the festival.

 

As they made their way back to the room, Betty glanced at Jughead’s profile, “I still can’t believe you wore a kilt for me.”

 

“Hey, anything to make you smile, Juliet. You’ve been through a lot lately. I just wanted to do something unexpected for you as a surprise. And you wouldn’t shut up about ‘Scottish men in kilts’ when we were shopping in the city, _so_ …the kilt thing was kind of a no-brainer. But you better not get used to it. I would _only_ ever wear this for you. I feel like I’m kind of betraying my Welsh name in this thing, considering the Scottish attacked Wales a few times.”

 

Betty kissed his cheek, suppressing a laugh.

 

Jughead scowled at her defiantly, then he started laughing, too.

 

They had barely crossed the foyer when Betty yanked Jughead up the stairs. He was grinning behind her, enjoying her lack of restraint. Jughead glanced down the hallway before pulling her into the room and shutting the door behind them quietly. At first, he looked down at her, smiled, and brushed her lower lip with his thumb. Betty leaned in for more heat as he traced the edges of her dress beneath her arms, allowing his fingers to brush against the inside of the seams. She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his fingertips as they made their way down her dress, skimming the skin concealed beneath it. His expression grew serious as he tilted his head towards her mouth, their lips now just a spare breath away. His back was still against the wall as they began kissing languidly. Betty’s wrapped her hands around Jughead’s suspenders as his lips pressed into hers over and over again. His hands instinctively moved to the small of her back and pulled her flush against him. Betty whimpered. While they were still kissing, she began unbuttoning the top of his shirt as she felt Jughead’s hands move a little lower.

 

“Would you two like me to leave for a while?” Veronica sat up in her bed, eyes half shut.

 

Startled, the pair jerked apart. Jughead straightened his jacket as Betty brushed an invisible wrinkle out of her dress, “I didn’t know you were already back, V.”

 

“I am, chica, but I don’t have to be!”

 

Jughead turned red. Betty turned around and kissed him. She could see that he was equally unnerved by Veronica’s presence, so she quickly added, “See you tomorrow?”

 

Jughead nodded and slipped quietly out of the room.

 

“Betty - _why didn’t you text me_?! I could have slept in Ethyl’s room _or_ made myself scarce for a little while.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Betty tugged on her dress, smoothing a few wrinkles around her waistline.

 

Veronica rolled her eyes, “ _Sure_. And Jughead’s hands _weren’t_ inching below your waist _at all_. Because from what I could see, he was about to grab your ass! Your welcome, by the way!”

 

Betty pretended not to hear her. “ _I need a shower_.”

 

“Better make it a cold one, Betts.”

 

Betty shut the bathroom door behind her. She slipped the velvet down her back, stepped into the shower, and allowed the steam and hot porcelain beneath her feet to soothe the tingle she felt all over. Betty wondered if what she was feeling was from the perfume, or something else entirely.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was quite a challenge to write, but here it is! If you enjoyed this, please leave me some love in the comment section!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song mentioned below. They are the intellectual property of Savage Garden. This story is just for fun.

16.

The next morning, the bus pulled up to gates of Edinburgh Castle, the main travel point on their itinerary for the day. As the students got off the bus, Jughead waited until several students passed them before he pulled Betty aside; he’d been aching to tell her privately that he had found a cottage for them to stay at. He just needed to tell her before they were interrupted again, which given what had happened in her room, was a distinct possibility. With her approval, he’d book it and off they’d go. Archie walked past them begrudgingly, which caused Jughead to clench his jaw. It softened when he felt the tips of Betty’s fingers on his.

 

He stepped closer to her, saying in an almost inaudible whisper, “Betty, I need to talk to you _alone_.”

 

Her face brightened at his emphasis on the word ‘alone;’ they would finally be able to continue their conversation from the other day without any interruptions.

 

Jughead noticed Veronica eyeing them from the front entrance of the gate, so he dropped his voice again, “I just need to be alone with you for more than five seconds, that’s all. I wanted to talk to you about the place I found.”

 

Excited, Betty whispered ‘okay.’ Her voice trailed off as Veronica came over to meet them.

 

“Whispering ‘sweet nothings’ to my girl, Romeo? Your ears are red.”

 

“Yes, I’m ‘full of sweet nothings.’ Jughead rolled his eyes, “Are you quoting Ulysses, Veronica? I didn’t know you did the required readings in our lit class.”

 

“Smart-ass.” Veronica changed the subject, “Anyways, do you two know how many movies have been filmed here?! I’ve been looking forward to this all day, not to mention the photos I’ll be taking of course.”

 

“Because the fifty photos on your Facebook page aren’t enough already,” Jughead smirked, and Veronica turned to him, “Cute and clever, Jughead. No wonder Betty likes you so much, but careful there. I might look unassuming, but I can craft an equally witty retort.”

 

Jughead raised his eyebrows as Betty grabbed his hand. As Veronica walked past them, Betty whispered to Jughead, “She’s a force to be reckoned with, trust me, you don’t even want to try.”

 

“I know, I figured that out.” Jughead was still worried that Veronica was going to tell Betty that he was madly in love with her, which is why he felt the need to distract her from probing into their private conversation in the first place.

 

Betty was quick to defend her friend’s impertinence. She had, after all, prepared a nearly perfect evening for them the other night. “By the way,” Betty said graciously, “She’s not _all_ bad.”

 

“No?” Jughead laughed playfully, “How so?”

 

“She was the one that dressed me the other night. That was _all_ her.”

 

“That gown you wore?!”

 

“Yes, that and the whole ensemble; the gown was an Elie Saab. Veronica bought it for me – I don’t even think it’s available for purchase in the states yet, so be _nice_.”

 

Jughead turned and whispered in her ear, “Remind me to thank her then. I can’t stop thinking about the way it looked on _you_.”

 

Betty’s cheeks heated. She recalled how excited he’d been when he first saw her in it, his fingers slipping beneath its velvet hem against her bare skin.

 

“I like making you blush.” Jughead grabbed her hand and kissed it.

 

About an hour into the tour, Jughead yanked Betty into the hallway and mouthed ‘follow me,’ pulling her outside as her eyes met the antiquated courtyard, which was outlined with vibrant florals and rose bushes.

 

“Jug, we just ditched in the middle of the tour. Where are we going?”

 

He yanked her behind him, “Just a little further, babe. I want to make sure no one overhears us.”

 

“You mean _just_ Veronica, right?”

 

“Yes, her too. We have to be quick.”

 

They followed a stone path for several minutes, which led down to a lower courtyard concealed by trees and the hill above them. At its center stood one of the stateliest fountains she’d ever seen. She marveled for a minute, turning back around to Jughead, whom she knew was eager to tell her something.

 

“Couldn’t wait, huh?”

 

Jughead shook his head, smiling coyly.

 

As the pair sat down on a stone bench, Jughead pulled his phone out. He cleared his throat a little as Betty looked up at him expectantly, “I found somewhere for us to stay, Betts. We would head there about an hour after the plane lands in Dublin, but only if you’re still up for it.”

 

“Of course I still want to go.”

 

Jughead handed her his phone, “There’s a lot to see in that area and I was hoping you would want to go, too. The place I want to take you is Connemara in Western Ireland. It’s a tad remote, but we can easily take a taxi or bus there. I also looked into it and we can always pay a tour guide a small fee for the day; they drive the buses, too.”

 

Betty’s eyes lit up as she looked at the screen.

 

“That’s where we would be staying. I know it’s somewhat remote, but they said it’s like a bed and breakfast – except, they um leave the food and wine with you the night before. It’s a couple’s suite, but it looked rustic and I just thought you might like staying there and well now I’m talking too much, aren’t I? I’ll shut-up now.” He grinned at her.

 

Betty was still staring at the phone, combing through the pictures with her finger. She didn’t say anything, but a smile crept over her face slowly.

 

“Say something, Betts?” He sounded a bit more exasperated than he had intended, but he had a very good reason. In his head, if everything went right that weekend, it would be a memorable occasion for the both of them. Although he wanted them to take that next step in their relationship, he wasn’t expecting sex; he was finally going to tell her how he felt about her. He’s been putting it off for an embarrassingly long time now; it was just time.

 

“Is _this_ a honeymoon cottage, Jughead?”

 

“ _W-what_?” Jughead took the phone from her.

 

“It says on the room that this is a honeymoon suite, not a couple’s suite.”

 

Jughead turned bright red as the phrase “honeymoon suite” passed across his retinas, “I guess I didn’t see that. _Whoops_.”

 

Betty laughed. “It’s more than okay, Jug. It’s perfect. Betty leaned in to kiss him. _I can’t wait_.” Betty grabbed his hands before she was tempted to start making out with him, “Come on, we better get back inside before they catch us.”

 

They trekked up the hill, snuck back in through the double wooden doors in the foyer and resumed the tour.

 

“And _where_ have you two been,” Veronica whispered, eyeing them suspiciously.

 

“Nowhere.” Jughead cleared his throat and began listening to the tour guide again.

 

_“Located on Castle Rock, Edinburgh castle has been in use since the late Bronze Age. Until 1633, this site was a royal residence, housing many nobles and their families. Notably, the fortress itself was also one of the most attacked in the world…”_

…

When the tour ended in the evening, the majority of students had decided to go back to the local pub for the “Scottish experience” (in reality, Betty knew that everyone was _really_ going there to just get trashed). Betty was hesitant, well aware that Jughead’s father had battled alcoholism. Veronica, however, convinced her otherwise and said that they needed to ‘let loose.’ Jughead didn’t seem bothered, though. And by the time they got to the pub, several of their classmates were already either inebriated or well on their way to being there. The first of many drunks they encountered was Dilton Doiley.

 

“Juggie-kins. _Ah – ha_!”

 

“Dilton?” Jughead looked slightly annoyed at his friend’s obvious intoxication.

 

Betty suppressed at laugh; Dilton was using her nickname on Jughead.

 

Dilton stumbled over to them placing his hand on Jugheads shoulder, “There’s my roomie!” He pointed at Jughead while looking at Veronica and said, “Did you know this guy is _never_ in his room; man, it’s like you’ve forgotten all about me ever since you got a girlfriend. You’re practically a ghost and your all he ever talks about at work, _Betty_. Betty is so clever, Betty is unbelievably funny, and I _lo_ …”

 

“Really,” Veronica encouraged him, “Tell us more, Dilton.”

 

“Yeah, he’s probably too busy making out with his girlfriend that he’s madly in love with, but her won’t tell her because he’s so fucking shy.

 

“Dilton!” Jughead blushed furiously hissing, “Dude, shut the fuck up.”

 

_Yeah, she’d heard that. He was sure of it._

 

Veronica stepped closer to him, “Let’s go get some drinks, my treat - and you can tell me all about it.” Veronica followed Dilton over to the bar, turning around and winking at them.

 

Betty tried to pretend that she wasn’t thrilled by what Dilton had just said. She wondered if Jughead had discussed their relationship Dilton and figured that he had. _Definitely_. She wondered what else he said as a warmth began to spread below her abdomen.

 

“Let’s go get something to drink, yeah?” Jughead changed the subject immediately as he walked ahead of her and Betty followed him over to the bar. He didn’t want her to bring up Dilton’s ill-timed slip of the tongue just yet – no, _that_ moment had to be perfect.

 

“Can you get me a beer? Wait, Jug?”

 

He turned around, scared that she was about to bring up what had just happened, but instead she grinned at him.  


“Make it a _large_ one.”

 

“You got it, Betts.”

 

Unfortunately, Archie Andrews walked up to the bar at the same time Jughead was ordering two pints for them. He was eyeing them pointedly as he took a swig of beer and motioned for the bartender to pour him another. He imbibed it rather quickly and walked off, his eyes still darting in their direction.

 

Jughead pretended to ignore him as he slipped his hand around Betty’s waist.

 

About an hour in, they had both had a couple of drinks when Jughead overheard Reggie Mantle, who was slightly inebriated, yell over the wooden table across from Archie, “Dude, I thought she looked familiar, weren’t _you_ going out with her?”

 

“Yeah, _was_ being the operative phrase there, whatever. Jughead is probably just salty I hit _that_ first.”

 

“Dude,” Reggie laughed as he downed more of his drink.

 

Jughead knew Reggie was just reaching, reminding himself that this was little more than a display of typical dickish behavior from a former jock. But at the same time, the way Archie had said _that_ seemed too sincere for his liking. _Fuck him._

 

Betty could see the escalating the tensions in Jugheads jaw, “Jug, don’t. She grabbed his hand, “Just ignore it. Please.”

 

“Betty, I don’t like that he’s saying that about you.”

 

“I know, but you and I both know it’s not true. He’s just full of himself. What he’s doing right now is the dumb jock version of colorful, self-aggrandizing puffery.”

 

“Okay, that description was on point,” Jughead grinned as he took another swig of his beer.

 

“Hey, I try. What can I said, being around a wordsmith like you has rubbed off on me.”

 

“I appreciate that, Betts, but that’s all you. I read your essays in class remember?”

 

“Are you sure you remember them, Jug? Because you said you were too busy staring at your crush. That’s what you kept telling ‘blue bird’ all the time.”

 

Jughead grinned and leaned in to kiss her.

 

Things settled for a little while, but in no time at all, Archie, who was now somewhat drunk, was at it again. He glanced in their direction and began talking rather pointedly. Jughead was sure that he had heard the word “boobs,” and it annoyed the fuck out of him. He knew Betty didn’t want to even be felt up during their so-called date, but he tried to quell his anger for a little while longer as they were having a moment, getting slightly intoxicated. Her hand had also begun to roam a little bit, which Jughead enjoyed. She was planting tiny swirls on his skin with her finger, moving it up and down his arm. Then she had also tucked his stray hairs under his beanie, briefly kissing his cheek. He was just about lost in Betty’s touches, but sadly the moment didn’t last.

 

“So, you and _her_ ,” Reggie laughed again, leaning over his beer, “Yeah?”

 

“Oh, hell yeah. But she’s obviously into bottom feeders because she’s dating Jughead now.”

 

Reggie laughed at he nursed the handle of his beer.

 

“Betts, _I can’t_.”

 

“Calm down, Jug. It’s not worth it. _He’s_ not worth it.”

 

“I’m sorry, but I will not allow him to keep trashing you like that, Betts. I’m done listening to him.” Jughead slammed his fist onto the table and turned around to see Archie’s smirking face.

 

“Jug, don’t - _please_.” Betty reached out to him in vain; his back was already turned away from her. She watched in horror as he walked over to him, shoving him with decent amount of force.

 

“Don’t talk about my fucking girlfriend like that.”

 

“Or what?” Archie slammed him against the wall, “What will you do, Jughead?”

 

Jughead slammed Archie against the side of the wall and mouthed ‘outside’ through gritted teeth. Then he shoved him again with more force, “ _Now_ , asshole.”

 

Betty ran over to find Veronica, who was now tipsy in the back of the pub, sitting with Dilton and Ethel.

 

“Ronnie, I think they just went outside to fight.”

 

“Who did, Betty?”

 

“Jug _and_ Archie.”

 

Veronica’s eyes widened, “Oh god – _okay_ – let’s go!”

 

When they ran outside, Jughead and Archie were still going at it. Jughead looked like he already had a black eye forming. He was panting in the corner while Archie was holding his jaw, presumably because he had been hit there.

 

Reggie had already run outside in an attempt to restrain Archie, who was still breathing heavily, “Dude, let him go, were all going to get in trouble if you don’t stop. Reggie pushed Jughead aside in an effort to separate them as he continued to hold Archie back.

 

Jughead was still breathing heavily as he wiped some blood from his lower lip.

 

“ _Jughead_!” Betty was misty eyed when she saw him. She turned around and ran back inside.

 

“Betty – _wait_!”

 

“You could have gotten really hurt, Jug. Why would you run outside to fight Archie, why would you even give him the time of day?”

 

“Because of what he said about you, Betts. I couldn’t just let him say those things, not after what he did to you.”

 

“I don’t care about Archie! Don’t you know that by now!?”

 

Betty’s arms were crossed as she sat silently at a table still trying to fend off tears. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe she was upset that Jughead had gotten into a fist fight over her. She was unsure.

 

Jughead attempted to console her, but she just stared at the table.

 

“Of course I know that, babe.”

 

“Then why would go get into a fight like that? God, after everything we’ve been through.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Jughead drops his hands from the table, “Betts, _please_.”

 

Betty didn’t respond as he placed a hand on her shoulder, so he dropped it and sighed. Jughead walked away from her as Betty continued to stare at her empty glass. When Veronica came back in, she sat down and put her hand on Betty’s shoulder. When Veronica looked up she noticed that Jughead was talking to someone on the stage

 

“Betts,” Veronica whispered, “ _Look_.”

 

Jughead looked a little nervous as he sat down, his voice was shaky as he picked up the guitar and the man behind him plugged it into the amp.

 

“Um, thank you for lending me five minutes and your guitar, Jughead swallowed, “I wanted to play this song for my girlfriend, Betty.”

 

“Betty! Oh my god.”

 

“What is he doing?! Ronnie, he never does this in public.”

 

“Well apparently not because he’s about to play something for you – and how did you never tell me that he can sing?! That is _so_ hot.”

 

“He doesn’t want anyone to know,” Betty whispered, “At least, it sure seemed that way to me. He only ever plays for me when I’m upset, Veronica.”

 

“Well he knows your upset right now.”

 

“Shut-up.” Betty whispered.

 

Jughead still looked nervous as he began to play, “ _Maybe it's intuition, but some things you just don't question_ ,” he met her eyes momentarily, and then looked down.

 

_“Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant, and there it goes, I think I found my best friend…_

_I know that it might sound more than_

_a little crazy but I believe_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I think I dreamed you into life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I have been waiting all my life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you…I have been waiting all my life.”_

 

When Jughead looked up everyone around him was cheering, but he didn’t notice. He was looking directly at Betty, eyes pleading with her.

 

“Betty,” Veronica whispered, “He just fucking told you he loves you!”

 

Betty stared up at him as he grinned and looked down at the guitar strings.

 

“Does that count?!”

 

“Oh my god, yes! At least in my book. I’d fuck the shit out of him tonight, which is why I’m staying here late. I could slap myself for turning in early the other night, it looked like it was going to be a good night for you guys, too.”

 

“What?” Betty hadn’t registered a word of what she had just said.

 

“Hello, earth to Betty. Jughead _loves_ you. Oh - _look_! He’s coming over here right now. Quick, hand me your purse.”

 

“What on earth for?”

 

Veronica opened the clasp of her purse and slipped something plastic into Betty’s bag.

 

Betty finally snapped out of it and she turned to see a shimmery packet veronica was putting into her satchel.

 

“Veronica omg!! You never quit, do you?” Betty whispered.

 

“What, you think the pill doesn’t work remember? You’re the type double up anyways!”

 

Betty turned bright red right as Jughead was at the table again.

 

“Very nice, Romeo. See you two later!” Veronica waved from behind as she went to the other table giving them some much needed space.

 

“Betty, _I_ – ”

 

Betty grabbed his hand so that they could go somewhere a little more private. The hallway which was empty for the most part, seemed to be her only alternative at this present moment; she didn’t care, she’d take it; she needed to be closer to him. Everyone was either drinking around the bar, or walking around the pub’s stage. Some were standing outside chatting and taking a smoke break. Betty continued walking forwards, with Jughead trailing behind her. Noting it was empty, Betty pulled him into the back of the pub, near the hallway, slamming him against the wall. They began kissing heavily, with no signs of slowing down at the rate they were both going. Betty began kissing his neck as he snaked his hands around her waist, moving them down further. They’d never kissed quite that intensely before.

 

“Jug,” their lips unstuck for a moment. Betty’s eyes were still closed as she rested her hands on his shoulders, their lips still only an inch apart.

 

“What is it, babe?”

 

“Do you,” Words were difficult, “Would you _like_ to call it a night earlier and go back to my room?”

 

He was out of breath, “ _Not yet_.” He leaned in to kiss her again, pulling her waist flush against his.

 

Betty kissed him again, “Why not?” Both of their eyes were still closed.

 

“Because,” he smiled down at her, “We have our weekend coming up, he started kissing her again as her hand moved around her neck, “It’s going to be _just_ us,” he kept kissing her, trying to finish his sentence, “No one will be there to,” he kissed her again twice, “To interrupt us.”

 

_I’m going to tell you I Iove you there, just the two of us. No interruptions._

 

Betty nodded as she nuzzled his nose and began kissing him again.

 

“Wait,” She stopped the kiss and rested her hands against his chest, eyes pleading with him, “Can we just, can we go back _and_ …”

 

Jughead grinned and nodded. He felt a knot in his stomach because he was having certain thoughts.

…

They got back to the room quickly enough. Betty kicked the door shut behind them as Jughead began kissing her. Betty grinned and pulled him over to the bed as they kicked their shoes off. He was slightly on top of her, but rested his weight on his hands, hovering above her. The pair started breathing heavily as Jughead kissed her neck, pulling away a little.

 

Betty grabbed at the collar of his shirt and started kissing his neck, “Don’t stop.”

 

Jughead started kissing her intensely when Betty grabbed his hand and pulled it to her chest.

For the first time, really, he felt her and squeezed affectionately, upping the intensity of his kisses.

 

Betty yanked her sweater over her head, followed by her shirt, “Take off your shirt.”

 

He yanked it over his head, tossed it to the floor, and cradled her head in his hands.

 

“What is it?” Betty was out of breath again as he looked at her.

 

“I don’t want to rush this, Betty. We don’t need to rush _this_.”

 

“Sleep here tonight?”

 

He smiled, smothering her lips with his.

…

When Veronica Lodge snuck into the room at 3:00 am she was still inebriated, having sang ‘O Danny Boy’ thrice with Dilton and Ethel, not remembering the playlist was on repeat; they had been slamming down beers for hours. She was startled, albeit a little disappointed, to find Betty and Jughead snuggling under the cover’s sound asleep; Betty was in a thin lace tank. She took a step closer, looking them up and down as she thought, ‘Hey, at least Jug appears to have his shirt off - _and Betty_ \- do I _see_ your nipples?! Go Betty, wooo – _WHOA_!’ Veronica stumbled a little. High heeled leather boots were not the most practical footwear for trekking the Scottish Highlands, ‘Duly noted, self. Better FedEx from an L.L. Bean catalogue next time!’ Veronica looked over at them again, flung her leather purse onto the chair beside her bed and laid down on top of her comforter.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have been looking forward to this chapter for months now. It was quite a challenge to write. Please comment! 
> 
> Thanks. <3

17.

“Hurry Betts,” Jughead grabbed her hand as she wheeled the suitcases behind her, “We have get out of the terminal before Veronica sees us.”

 

Betty watched him grin as he looked ahead, wishing he would slow down a little. She found it amusing that they were basically trying to avoid her best friend catching them sneaking off for a romantic getaway.

 

“Jughead! I cannot walk that fast. Slow it down a little.”

 

“You’re going to have to, babe! The cab is nearly here.”

 

The plane had landed early that morning in the Dublin airport. Many were still sleepy as they got off the plane and headed toward the terminal. As the students were waiting for a shuttle in the lobby, Jughead called a cab while he Betty snuck out before anyone of their classmates could see them. As they piled into the cab, a light rain began to fall from the sky, misting their cheeks. Jughead got into the car quickly and moved aside to make room for Betty. After she buckled her seat belt, Betty let out an exasperated huff in the back seat.

 

“You really hustled us out of there.”

 

Jughead mouthed ‘sorry’ and grabbed her hand.

 

The driver, a man with a thick Irish accent, turned around to ask them, “Where to?”

 

Jughead pulled out his phone and scrolled through it for a second. Once he found the number he needed, he read him the name of the car rental service where they had their own car waiting for them.

 

“And might I ask what your needing a car for?”

 

“We’re going to stay in Connemara to do some sightseeing.”

 

“Ah, what a way to start your trip; Connemara is a true gem of Ireland. It’s a place of natural beauty unmarred by man,” The man looked them over and quickly added, “And you two are travelling all that way alone? It must be a special weekend for you two, no?”

 

Betty looked over at Jughead, wondering if perhaps he had intended this weekend to be a special occasion and he simply hadn’t said anything to her about it. Her mind filled with possibilities as she began to think, ‘First, were going to a honeymoon cottage _alone_. Knowing Jughead, there’s just no way that was inadvertent on his part; he’s a little too concerned with the minutiae of everyday life to glaze over something _that_ obvious, right? But what could he be planning?’ Betty was lost in thought as Jughead raised his voice in response to the cab driver’s question.

 

“Well, I hear the countryside is beautiful and there’s a lot to see there.”

 

“Oh, it is! There isn’t too much development in those parts either. It’s nothing at all like Dublin, which as you can probably tell by the size of the airport we just passed, is quite modern.”

 

When the cab driver dropped them off at their destination, he got out of the car to help them with their luggage, “I hope you two have fun in Connemara, it was lovely to talk to you.”

 

“You as well. Thanks.”

 

Jughead paid the man and they went inside to pick up their car rental and the key to the cottage. Driving the actual car was another thing entirely though, because the wheel was on the opposite side of where the driver’s seat normally was. Jughead remained tense as they drove; Betty navigated the vehicle down the road, reading the directions to him from an app on her phone.

 

“Juggie, are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Betty chuckled and watched as his jaw tensed up. His black hair began to fall below his eye, temporarily obstructing his view. Annoyed, he swatted it away quickly and continued to clench the steering wheel.

 

“No. I’m fine, Betts. _Really._ I’ve got this.”

 

Soon enough they were driving through rolling green hills and watched as Dublin and all of its inhabitants disappeared behind them.

 

Betty continued staring out her window, “Wow, this is beautiful.”

 

Jughead caught a glimpse of her radiant smile in the rearview mirror. He beamed at her as he continued to drive along the rough road. About thirty minutes into the drive, Betty told him that according to the map, they needed to take a winding road off the highway called ‘Glasbrook.’ There they would pass large expanse of open greenery and a small bridge above a creek.

 

Jughead looked at the sheep in the distance and pointed out their strange coloring to Betty, “Check out those sheep, Betts. They have neon dye striped down their midsections. Doesn’t that look weird to you?”

 

“I guess that’s how the farmers mark them? How strange, they look like hippie sheep. And look Jug, one has neon green dye on its fur.”

 

“He must be the male.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“I don’t. I’m just making shit up to pretend I’m not nervous about driving on this unpaved road were on right now.”

 

Betty reached over and brushed the back of his head, delicately tracing his neck.

 

“That helps,” Jughead relaxed a little as her fingers continued to roam around his neck. He sighed and tilted his head back.

 

As they continued to drive, Betty noted that there were two large mountains in the distance up ahead. From afar they appeared partially yellow; however, as they inched closer to them, she noticed they appeared to be more of a moss green color. The area, a green valley and large expanse of land, dipped in the middle, but the center was mostly flat. Further out, the ocean was in full view; waters splashed against the sides of the mountain, darkening the stone as the water cascaded over it again and again. After a few more minutes, they saw the tiny cottage up ahead, nestled in the center of the valley. This was to be their home away from home, a cottage hidden between the hills and framed with lush greenery and pale purple perennials.

 

When they were very close, Betty began to scream and jump out of her seat, which Jughead teased her about, “Look! There it is. There aren’t any other homes around it, do you see this!”

 

“Yes, Betts. But you jumping up and down is making me nervous again on this rough terrain.”

 

“Sorry,” Betty sat down and gripped the sides of her seat. He pulled off the road and drove a little further until they pulled into a patch of verdant grass next to the cottage. “I hope this where were supposed to park. The email didn’t really say otherwise.”

 

“Park wherever you like,” Betty added, “It’s not like anyone’s going to notice. There’s no one here to see us for miles!”

 

As Betty stepped out of the car, the wind caught her hair, twisting it around her face and neck. She pulled it to the side and smiled as she looked at the cottage in front of her, eyes drifting upwards at the expanse of blue, “This is just beautiful.”

 

“Here, Betts.” Jughead tossed her the keys, which she caught easily as she began to walk toward the cottage.

 

Betty ran up the front steps and opened the single oak door, with Jughead following close behind her. As they opened the door and stepped inside, Betty flicked on the lights and spent a moment taking it all in. The floors were made of light wood and a few of the walls were made of stone matching the exterior. There was a small mudroom at the entrance next to the front door with hangers and a stool for shoes. The living room stood to the left and the kitchen, Betty noted, lay directly behind the living room. From what he could see initially, it had a rather rustic appearance, but was quite charming. The kitchen window over the sink was lined with wood; above the stovetop there stood an arch made of stone that framed that entire side of the wall.

 

As they stood in the hallway at the front of the cottage, Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand and led her into their room. He had known, based on the website, that they would leave a chilled bottle of wine next to the bed, and he also knew that they would “spruce the place up” as they had put it in their email to him. What he did not know, however, was that sprucing the place up meant that they would cover the entire bed with pink rose petals. And yeah, he’d fucking rented a honeymoon suite on purpose, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He just thought the honeymoon suite looked nicer for her (and maybe, too, he’d hoped to impress her just a little). At least, that’s what he told himself as Betty walked around the room in awe.

 

The focal point of the room, the king- sized canopy bed, was covered with sheer curtains; there were tiny white lights wrapped around the top, which gave it an ethereal effect. In the middle of the bed, there was giant white goose feather duvet, which puffed out a little; it was folded down the center neatly. There were a few decorative silk pillows in the center of the bed, which were placed in front of the larger ones behind them. Behind the head of the bed was a giant glass window, which was partially concealed with curtains hanging from the wall. It’s location, which Jughead assumed was strategically placed, enabled the sleeper to simply wake up, turn around, and appreciate the entire view of the valley that surrounded the exterior of the cottage. There was a fireplace to the left of the bed, and next to the heath, freshly cut logs were stacked on a small wooden bench. A large wardrobe stood in the corner of the room next to a leather chair. The bathroom entrance had no door; instead, a large stone archway stood in place of a door.

 

Jughead watched as Betty walked over to the bed and opened a silver envelope, which was placed delicately on one of the pillows. When she opened it, Betty began reading it and stopped. She looks as though she was rereading whatever it said as her green eyes widened. She looked at Jughead and covered her mouth as she attempted to suppress a laugh.

 

“What’s funny?”

 

“ _Mr. and Mrs. Jones_ ,” Betty continued to snicker as she read the words, “We hope you enjoy your stay…”

 

“Wait, they wrote that?!” Jughead turned bright red and grabbed the envelope from her hands. His eyes scrolled across the sheet of paper in disbelief, ‘Well, this is embarrassing,’ Jughead thought, ‘I guess that’s what I get for renting a honeymoon suite and trying to sneak that fact past her. Well done, Jughead. Real smooth.’

 

Betty seemed unperturbed by the words as she kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I don’t mind. This room is perfect for us, don’t you think?”

 

‘Perfect for me making love to you for days on end with no one interrupting us,’ Jughead thought. He recalled how many times they had been interrupted. First, it was the pizza man, then his damn dog, and lastly, Veronica Lodge.

 

Betty pulled him over to the bed and kissed him once on the mouth, and then on the nose, “I’m going to check out the bathroom, be right back.”

 

Jughead’s hair was tousled now as he laid his back against the bed and smiled.

 

“Juggie, come here!”

 

He sat up from the bed and hoped off to follow her.

 

As Betty stepped into the bathroom, she beheld a white vase of fresh yellow roses, which were perched in the middle of the bathroom counter. The tub was also huge, Betty noted, and just the perfect size to fit two people in it.

“I love it.” Betty wrapped her arms around him again, “I’m in awe. I can’t believe a place like this exists.”

 

“Well, we could stay here all day (‘ _and why don’t we, Jughead secretly thought – I could finally tell you how much I love you for starters’_ ) but adventures await us in town. You aren’t going to believe where I’m taking you first today. But you’re still going to have to use your phone to navigate while I drive, is that alright?”

 

“Yes, but can’t you tell me where we’re going?”

 

“And ruin the surprise? Now where’s the fun in that?”

 

“Jughead?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Betty didn’t say anything as she pulled a rose petal out of his hair, which had lodged itself in his black curls when he had laid on the bed after she had kissed him. Betty twisted the delicate petal in between her fingers and blew it on him. He looked rather embarrassed and he ran his hands through his hair, attempting to shake out any other hidden rose petals which might have made their way into his scalp.

 

Betty admired the bathroom and bedroom for a minute longer, “I can’t wait to come back here tonight. Now let’s go do some sightseeing, shall we?”

…

Jughead grabbed their luggage from the rental car and placed it in the front hallway. He locked the door to the cottage and hurried back to the vehicle.

 

“Let’s go!” Betty clutched at her seat again, leaving indentions as her fingers pushed against the fabric, “I’m so excited!”

 

Jughead laughed when he noticed how tightly she was grabbing the seat, “You know Betts, I didn’t pay for upholstery insurance on this car.”

 

“I’m just excited, smart-ass! Let’s go!”

 

He started the car and said, “Alright. Type County Clare Ireland into your phone and tell me where to drive from here.”

 

Later, Betty noticed the tiny town of County Clare disappearing in the rearview mirror as the car subtly inched up a mountainous region. She could still see the painted homes in the distance, many of which were white with colored rooftops.

 

Betty couldn’t take the anticipation anymore. She began tracing circles against Jughead’s flannel shirt and down his midsection, “Come on, not even a hint?”

 

“No, but you’re going to want to take a lot of photos when we get there. I brought my nice camera for the occasion.”

 

“So, no hints, huh? This is going to be an agonizing car ride for me. I don’t think I do very well with surprises.”

 

Jughead shook his head, “No hints. I want to see the look on your face when you see _it_ for the very first time.” Jughead grinned at her and looked ahead. They pulled into a cement driveway, parking next to a short stone wall.

 

“Did I just see a sign?” Betty tried to turn her head and look back at it again, “I think it said, ‘Cliffs’ or something…”

 

“Yes, but I sped past it on purpose.” As they got out of the vehicle, Jughead put his camera around his neck and grabbed her hand, “Ready?” Jughead began walking hurriedly, grinning as he quickened his pace.

 

“You’re walking a little fast, don’t you think?”

 

“Well, yeah. But in all fairness, I’ve wanted to see this my whole life.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yes. I can’t wait for you to see this with me, Betts. It might just be your favorite thing that you see while were here, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. After all, this is only the first day of our excursion.”

 

As they continued walking, Betty felt her feet sliding forward. The wind was _that_ strong, which was a bit unnerving for her.

 

“You don’t know it yet, but were quite high up. You Better hold onto me tightly, Betts. Apparently, people die here once a year by accident _or_ by suicide.”

 

“Wait, what?! How is this the place you’ve been dying to see? Where the heck are we going?!”

 

“Walk faster and find out.”

 

As they walked ahead, Betty saw a large body of water in the distance; it was only when she stepped a little further that she realized just how high up they were.

“Come here,” Jughead pulled her closer to the edge so that she could see a good view of the cliffs up ahead as the Atlantic Ocean splashed beneath them.

 

“Oh god,” Betty jumped back, startled at how high up they were, “Wow this is really breathtaking. Beautiful and quite scary.”

 

Jughead grabbed his camera and quickly snapped a picture of her.

 

Betty slapped his arm, “Why did you do that? I looked startled.”

 

“I know. That’s why I took it. Here, take one of me.”

 

Betty grabbed the camera and took a shot of him looking down.

 

“Now I’ll have that shocked moment of you realizing just how high up we are forever captured on camera.”

 

“This is really just, _wow_.” Betty put the camera down and watched as the water broke against the cliffs edges.

 

“These are the Cliffs of Moher,” Jughead motioned at the turquoise waters, “How do you like our first stop?”

 

“It’s utterly amazing. Although it just scared me just now when I felt the wind moving my feet forward.”

 

“People _do_ die here, Betts.”

 

“Stop. You’re just trying to scare me now.”

“Look it up on your phone, babe. I’m not just making this up.”

 

“ _Jughead_.”

 

“Fine, so I overdramatized it to mess with you. Anyways, are you up for climbing a little higher?”

 

“I don’t know, Juggie,” Betty backed away from him as she looked at the higher ground in the distance. The elevation was substantially higher than where they were standing presently.

 

“Betts, what is it?”

 

“Okay, yeah, that scares me.” She motioned at the higher level up ahead.

 

“Here, give me your hand and don’t let go.” Jughead pointed up ahead, “See that thing up there? It looks like a small castle. It’s called O’Brien’s tower. It marks the highest point here.”

 

“Umm.” Betty pulled him away from that direction subconsciously, “I don’t know, Jug.”

 

“Betty, there’s no need to be afraid. I’ve got you. I had no idea you had such an aversion to heights, I genuinely feel badly now.”

 

“I don’t normally, but this _very_ high up and the wind is making me feel unstable, like I’m going to be blown down against the rocks.”

 

“I’ve got you, Betts. Come here.”

 

As they walked up the hill, Betty noted how windy it was still. She began to slow her pace and close her eyes.

“Almost there.”

 

Jughead kissed her while her eyes were still closed. She opened them to peek at him.

 

“Your safe, turn around.”

 

Betty let out a soft breath and looked ahead.

 

“Are you feeling okay?”

 

“Yes, and wow! Let me go find someone so that they can take a picture of us, alright?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Excuse me sir, would you mind?” Betty gave him her warmest smile and held her camera up.

 

“Not at all, aren’t you two a lovely couple.” The elderly man remarked as Jughead put his arm around Betty.

 

“Smile!”

 

He took several pictures before handing the camera back to Jughead. “There ya go, have a good one!”

 

“Thank you, sir!”

 

“This is just, _really_ beautiful.”

 

“If you like this, you’re going to love where were going next. We’ll leave whenever you’re ready.”

 

“I can’t wait, let’s walk around a little longer here, Jug.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yes, now come on!”

…

When they got into the car a bit later, Betty pulled out her phone. “I need directions to the next place, Jug - _and a hint, please!”_

 

“No hints, babe. Type in Galway, Ireland. We’ll be heading in that direction.”

 

“I’m going to look up tourist attractions in Galway on my phone.” Betty threatened as she jiggled her mobile phone at him.

 

Jughead put his hand over her phone playfully, “Don’t, I want it to be a surprise, Betts.”

 

Half an hour into the drive, they turned off the highway and Jughead slowed the car as they approached a building in the distance. Betty looked up, jumping off her seat slightly.

 

“Where are we?”

 

“Kylemore Abbey.”

 

Betty observed a large gray building up ahead. It resembled a castle, but also looked similar to a Victorian estate. In front of it, there was a blue lake that went on for miles and wrapped around the mountain, which stood above the abbey. She watched as several geese glided around the violet waters leisurely, brushing against the algae and Lili pads.

 

“Wow, this is really lovely.”

 

“Are you pleased with my picks thus far?”

 

“Yes, they’re amazing.”

 

Jughead pulled into the parking lot as Betty jumped out of the car.

 

“Let’s go buy tickets.”

 

“Alright, but do they have food here? I’m already starving, sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize. They do, actually. Apparently, the food in the café here is made with vegetables grown from the gardens on the grounds.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And I take it you looked this up, too? I’m not surprised given your love of gourmet food back in New York.”

 

“I did, but I’m sure you’ll like it. Plus, you always enjoy my foodie picks anyways. Now let’s get something to eat, shall we? I’m dying to try some traditional Irish fare.”

…

Mitchell’s café and Tea House was something else entirely. They had traditional Irish dishes, rye bread, and fresh soup. Betty looked like she was going to burst from all the excitement as they waited in line to place their orders. She was obviously enjoying the novelty. When Betty and Jughead sat down to eat, Jughead heard his phone buzz twice. It was a number he didn’t recognize.

 

“Is it alright if I take this call, babe?”

 

“No, I don’t mind. I’ll grab us a table while we wait for our food.”

 

“See you in a few,” Jughead kissed her forehead and stepped outside.

 

“Hi, is this Mr. Jones?”

 

“It is.”

 

“Hi, I hope I didn’t interrupt your weekend. We have some news for you.”

 

“Not, not at all.” It was the place he had interviewed at. Jughead was now at the edge of his seat as he listened nervously.

 

“Fantastic. I’m calling about the position you applied for actually. We’d like to offer you a job.”

 

“ _Really_.”

 

“Yes, sir. And you would be receiving the starting rate we discussed.”

 

Jughead made a fist in the air, then held his phone back to his ear, “That’s really generous of you.”

 

“Is that a yes _or_ do you need to think it over…”

 

“Oh no, I accept the position, definitely. I’m just out of the country right now unfortunately.”

 

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I will email you the details later.”

 

“Great, thank you so much! I’ll be in touch soon.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Jones. We look forward to working with you in the future. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

 

He’d gotten the job. When he graduated he’d be making substantially more than he was now. _A lot more._ He reminded himself that he would actually be able to take care of Betty now. When he walked inside, Betty smiled warmly at him. And it was in that moment that he had another thought, which he hadn’t dared to entertain until now.

…

Once they had finished eating, Betty and Jughead walked out into the hallway near the restaurant. Kylemore Abbey’s giftshop was right across from it, which Betty noticed right away.

 

“Can we go there for a minute?

 

“Oh boy, shopping.” Jughead grinned playfully and grabbed her hand.

 

“Five minutes.”

 

They walked around the shop for a moment when Jughead spotted Betty eyeing some jewelry in a glass container.

 

“See something you like, Betts?”

 

“All of it?”

 

Jughead found her disarming frankness hilarious, “So one of each? Got it.”

 

“Hey, a girl can dream. I wish I had money for an emerald. Oh well. I’m going to use the restroom and buy an ice-tea from the café to sip on, do you want anything?”

 

Jughead shook his head.

 

“Alright. Be back in a minute.” Betty stepped on her tiptoes to kiss him.

 

_She wanted an Emerald._

 

Jughead glanced down into the jewelry counter. He had some savings, sure. And soon, very soon, he’d be making a substantial amount of money. At least, it was a lot to him considering how long he’d been living off of a Barista’s salary. He eyed the jewelry for a moment longer. And that’s when it hit him. He could now take care of her indefinitely. And fuck it, he had ten minutes and he was going to. Jughead spotted a ring out of the corner of his eye; it was a marquis cut and he knew it would look perfect against her delicate skin. Before he knew what he was doing, he motioned over to the employee and pointed at it. The employee put the ring into a velvet box as he followed her over to the checkout counter. Soon, Betty appeared at the front entrance of the giftshop. He was nervous because he didn’t want her to see what he was buying. When Betty spotted him at the checkout line, she smiled from a distance and sauntered over to him.

 

_Shit._

 

“So, the guy who loathes shopping is actually buying something?” Betty laughed, “It seems like a lot has happened in the last ten minutes. What did you find, Juggie?”

 

_Aside from me buying you a ring? Nothing!_

 

Jughead panicked, “Oh, yes. I um,” Jughead looked at the counter frantically. There was a bowl that read, ‘ _Souvenirs from the Emerald Aisle_.’ He quickly pulled a silver ring out of it, “I’m buying this Claddagh ring for you, Betts. It’s just a cute souvenir that I thought you might like.”

 

‘ _Shit, what am I doing_?’ Jughead thought. Apparently, though, the employee understood and was amused as he handed it to her. She acted like the fancy bag she had just stuffed was for the trinket.

 

“And would you like _this_ in a sleeve or a box, sir?”

 

“A box, yeah. Thanks.” She rang up his credit card again and had him sign the new receipt. She folded the new receipt gently, carefully concealing the old one on the bottom as she handed it to him. In this moment, Jughead was grateful for her discretion as he watched her place the item into his bag. She handed it to him and smiled.

 

“Enjoy your day, sir.”

 

“Thanks, you as well.” Jughead turned to Betty, “Let’s put t _his_ in the car,” he added hurriedly.

 

“Okay, I’m dying to see the abbey now. Let’s hurry, Jug.”

 

“Will do,” Jughead locked the car as Betty walked ahead of him.

…

As they followed the tour guide around, Betty remarked at how ornate the living room was; there were statues carved into the fireplace in the main foyer, which appeared to be crafted out of pure marble. Betty loved that the dining room had the original Victorian furniture on display; she also decided that she needed to see it up close and personal. Jughead laughed at her as she attempted to lean a little closer than the velvet ropes permitted. When the tour guide turned around, she yanked her read back and began starring at the empty wall next to them.

 

_“Kylemore Castle was built as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a doctor from London. He moved to Ireland when he and his wife Margaret purchased the land around the Abbey. He built the home exclusively for her.”_

 

They left the tour for a minute took get a breath of fresh air, still holding hands as they walked. Betty looked at the front entrance and smiled, “This house was built for quite the regal lady. This whole place is just so romantic, don’t you think?”

 

Jughead grinned, “Yes. I’m happy to see your thoroughly enjoying yourself.”

 

“I am! So where are these Victorian gardens that the tour guide was referencing?”

 

“Let’s find out, shall we?”

 

Jughead grabbed her hand and glanced at the tall oak trees up the hill. “They have to be over here, right?”

 

“Yes,” Betty laughed, “Come on!”

…

They passed several stone walls and a clearing before they found the Victorian Gardens. Many of the flowers lining the center of the garden were already in full bloom. A gust of wind swept beneath their feet as they walked closer, causing the petals to zig zag as the wind caught them in its fray.

 

“This reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. Look at the rose bushes, they’re cut into a diamond shape, and the hedge bushes in the center are shaped like a maze.”

 

“Hmm,” Jughead pursed his lips together playfully, “So they are.”

 

“No, seriously. I thought you’d be thrilled by my book reference, Mr. Fairytale.”

 

Jughead’s shot her a bemused expression, “Well, that book came out around same these gardens were erected. So yes, I see the resemblance – just don’t make me chase you through them, Betts.” He narrowed his eyes at her, a cheshire grin playing on his lips.

 

“Very funny. I suppose we should find the tour guide. We can come back here in a little while.”

 

“Okay. Wait, let me take a picture of you by the rose bushes. Stand over here.” Jughead motioned between two bushes, so that one was placed on either side of her.

 

“Like this?”

 

“Perfect. Now, smile _Alice_!”

 

Betty started laughing. He caught a few shots of her like that, then she straightened her posture and gave him another bright smile. He was thinking about how he loved seeing her like this, lighthearted and carefree. It made him think of something else as they walked back to the abbey. _Those three words._ He hadn’t said them yet, but he wanted to. It was uncharted territory for him, sure. He had to get it out eventually, right? There was no time as good as the present, but he was feeling really nervous suddenly. He felt like the words were about to slip out of his mouth at any moment. Apparently, Betty noticed the changed in his expression, though, because she stopped and turned to look at him.

 

“Juggie, is something the matter? You look tense.”

 

“Betty, I…”

 

“What?” Betty looked up at him and smiled. She ran her thumb along the inside of his palm.

 

Jughead swallowed, “You said that you thought it was romantic that this whole house was built by Mr. Henry for his wife, Margaret.”

 

“It is! He loved her so much that he dedicated the entire house to her, crafting every detail just to her liking.”

 

“I mean, I could understand why a man would want to do that. For starters, his wife’s legacy still lives on when people come here to visit.”

 

“It’s quite romantic, no?”

 

“It is,” Jughead got quiet all of a sudden.

 

“Are you alright? Betty placed her hand on his cheek, “You look flushed.”

 

Jughead swallowed, “I meant that I could see why he built it for her because, you know, when you care about someone, you’d do anything for them. And I guess what I’m trying to say is that I understand where’s he’s coming from.” Jughead swallowed again, “ _Because_ …”

 

“Because what?”

 

“ _Because I love you, Betty_.”

 

Betty looked a little stunned. A smile crept over her face slowly as Jughead’s words reverberated in her mind. She loved him, too and he’d said it first – _not her!_

 

“I love you, Betty Cooper. I have for a long time now, and I was just too afraid to say it. Once, when you were asleep, I told you that I loved you. You didn’t hear me though.”

 

Betty continued to smile.

 

“Say something?”

 

Betty didn’t say anything at first. Instead, she leaned in to kiss him. As their lips parted, she looked up at his half-shut eyes and whispered, “I love you, too. And by the way, I told you I loved you once in secret, too.”

 

Jughead was relieved as he smiled down at her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. Then, he yanked her back towards the garden, which caused Betty to let out a raucous giggle. He needed more of her, to touch her skin, to kiss her, to make her feel what he was feeling after unloading so many emotions onto her. He looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Then, he pulled her to the corner of a stone wall for privacy and began kissing her down her neck, which caused Betty to gasp as their lips met again.

 

“Jughead?”

 

“What is it, Betts?” Jughead continued to kiss her, first kissing her with open mouthed kisses, then trailing his hands down her waist.

 

Betty’s eyes were shut during their kisses as she leaned in to whisper to him, “I want you to take me home.”

 

“Betty?” Jughead looked at her, eyes searching hers for further understanding. _Did she mean…?_

 

“I,” Betty panted. Then, she looked him in the eyes and said without hesitation, “I want you to take me home. When we get there, I want you to kiss me, and I don’t want you to stop.”

 

Jughead kissed her again, tangling his tongue with hers as they made out against the stone wall, “Yeah?”

 

Betty nodded frantically.

 

“And the tour,” Jughead whispered against her neck, “We saw most of it, right?”

 

“Yes,” Betty nodded again.

…

The car ride back to the cottage was quiet, with neither Betty or Jughead saying much to one another; however, anticipation lingered in the air as Jughead held Betty’s hand the entire way home. In between watching the road, he glanced over at her frequently. She smiled at him as he held her hand tightly in his.

 

When Jughead pulled up to the cottage, he didn’t even bother locking the car. Instead, he slammed the car door shut and walked over to Betty’s side of the car. He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her out of her seat gently. When her feet were firmly planted on the ground, he curled his hands around her waist and smiled as he began kissing her. He bent down and in a single movement and scooped her into his arms, which caused Betty to laugh in surprise. Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and never took her eyes off of him as he cradled her and carried her up the cottage steps. Once inside, he set her down in the hallway and turned around to lock the door. Betty’s lips were all over his as soon as she heard the lock click shut. Jughead pushed her into the door gently, trailing his lips along her jawline and collarbone. He picked her up suddenly, hiking her skirt up a little as Betty wrapped her legs around his waist. He began kissing her neck without restraint and pressed his core against hers.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Betty breathed in between kisses. He was still kissing her neck, allowing his lips to linger there, when she managed to utter, “Bedroom.”

 

Jughead carried her into the room and placed her on the bed. His hands to cradled her neck and moved down her arms as his lips attacked hers. Betty was nearly out of breath when she wrapped her legs around his waist again and yanked off his shirt. When he had freed himself from the obstructing garment, he continued to kiss her, allowing his hands to roam around the length of her body. His hands slid down her waist where he felt the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Once her shirt was off, he ran his fingers through her hair and dropped his lips to her neck once more.

 

“I love you, Betty” Jughead was still breathing roughly against her neck, barely able to pause to look at her. He wanted to make sure he had her permission. He knew he already had it, but he needed to be sure. She nodded. The unspoken approval was all he needed; he buried his face into her chest and bit down gently as his hands roamed around her back, finding the clasp of her bra. When it was off, he made a long, low sound and kissed her smooth skin without restraint. When Betty cried out at the contact, Jughead enclosed his mouth over her left side completely. Betty lost it as her eyelids began to flutter. He’d wanted this for so long, and now, with the sounds she was making, he could tell that she had too; the wait had been worth it as he watched her come undone beneath him. Betty watched his face as she unzipped his jeans and pulled them off. Now in nothing but his boxers, Jughead pulled her skirt down and tossed it onto the floor as he began kissing down her stomach.

 

“Jug?” Betty looked at him questioningly.

 

“I’m going to kiss you to make things more comfortable for you, babe. I don’t want to hurt you.” He began kissing her abdomen again.

 

“Wait,” Betty hesitated.

 

Jughead kissed her stomach again and sat up. He placed his hands on her face delicately, “What is it, babe?”

 

“Can I,” Betty’s face grew red, “Can I _see_ you?”

 

“Okay,” Jughead whispered quietly. He wasn’t sure why he felt nervous suddenly. It was probably because he’d never done anything like this before.

 

Betty pulled his boxers off slowly and looked at him, noting how excited he was, “Juggie, can I..,” Jughead’s eyelids shut when he felt her fingertips on him. When he opened his eyes again, she smiled a little; he assumed that meant that she liked what she saw.

 

“Betts, wait.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“We need a condom.”

 

“No, we don’t.” Betty whispered in a firm and unequivocal manner.

 

“But Betty, I wouldn’t want to get you…”

 

“You won’t. I’m on the pill.”

 

“Oh,” he said quietly. But I should still get a condom.”

 

Jughead attempted to get off the bed, but Betty caught his wrist, holding it gently. She placed her hands on his chest, “No, I don’t want you to. Not the first time.”

 

“Betty.”

 

Betty pressed a kiss to his mouth to quiet him, “I want to feel you, Juggie, all of you.”

 

Jughead gulped as Betty pulled him back to her and began to kiss him. Jughead couldn’t take it any longer as he began trailing kisses down her abdomen again, “Let me make you feel good before we do that.”

 

“Okay,” Betty said softly.

 

Jughead pulled her underwear down her legs, tossing them aside as he grabbed her thighs. When Jughead was above her later, he was panting, but he paused for a moment. to look down at her. He’d never seen her or _any_ woman like this before, let alone kissed a woman the way he had just kissed Betty. It was almost too much.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Betty smiled, feeling as he brushed against her thighs a little. He was hesitating, she could tell.

 

“ _Sorry_.”

“What is it?”

 

“It’s just, this is it. There’s no going back once we do this and I don’t know, I just want to make sure your sure. Now I’m rambling because I’m nervous because of how much I love you and it scares me a little. And, I don’t know, I just wanted to tell you again that I love you, Betty. I love you so much. Your kind of my whole world.”

 

“I love you too, Jughead, which is why it _has_ to be you. You love me so much; to me, it’s always been you. I want this _with_ you and only you.”

 

Betty leaned up to kiss him, pulling him flush against her. Soon after, he dropped his head to her neck when she said his name, whispering in her ear, “I love you, Betty.”

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead's first time. 
> 
> Slightly NSFW, but I tried to make it very romantic. 
> 
> As a writer, comments are life. Please let me know what you think below. Thanks!

18.

Jughead parted her knees with his. Soon enough, Jughead was kissing her mouth to mask any discomfort she felt. As he began to move, Betty felt a feeling of awe emanating from him, mixed with fear and wonder. She never knew just how good it would feel to have someone you love inside you; that feeling was something else entirely as he continued to move inside her. Soon, a first hit Jughead: that feeling of euphoria that only happens with two.

 

Afterwards, Jughead didn’t pull out of her. Instead, he kissed her slowly on the mouth, as if to savor the moment forever. As he pulled his lips away from hers, he wanted to look at her and peer into her soul again. He cradled her head in his hands as his lips brushed over her neck and came back to her mouth again. Betty looked at him and traced a stray curl around his forehead. She smiled as he kissed her again. Still overcome with emotion, Jughead pulled his lips from hers unwillingly as he traced the outline of her face with his fingertips. It was a simple gesture, but conveyed so much more than words ever could. Jughead’s thumbs swept across Betty’s cheeks as she looked up at him.

 

“ _I love you, Betty_.” He said, eyes lingering softly over her face and body.

 

Betty smiled as she moved her lips up to press against his, “ _I love you, too_.”

 

Jughead laid his back against the soft sheets and pulled Betty onto his chest so she could rest against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let out a contented sigh as Jughead pressed a kiss to her forehead. Sleep came quickly for her, but not as fast for Jughead. Even after Betty had been asleep for over half an hour, he just laid there, watching as her chest moved up and down against his. ‘So, this is what’s it’s like to be _that_ close to someone,’ he thought, ‘you peer into their soul a little as they take yours in, too.’ He couldn’t stop smiling as he ran his fingers through her hair.

...

As dawn broke, the sun swept through the corners of the room, brightening its interior as it revealed the pair sleeping contentedly in its center. After their night of firsts, the two had fallen asleep together, both feeling blissfully sated. Jughead was the first to stir from his slumber. Now fully awake, he felt her pressed against his skin. Betty was curled up against him and their limbs were still entwined. He looked down at her and grinned as she opened her eyes. It was the morning after and all he could manage to say was, “Hi.”

 

( _He was so gone for her)._

 

“What time is it?” Betty asked, the sleepiness still evident in her voice.

 

“It’s time, _I think_ , for you to go back to sleep.” Jughead pressed a kiss to her forehead and ran his hands down her bare back. She shut her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in the sensation as his hands continued to move downwards. They lay still like that for a long time with neither saying anything to the other.

 

When Jughead attempted to leave the bed, Betty pulled him back to her, “No.”

 

“No, you won’t go back to sleep, _or_ …”

 

“ _No_ to you leaving me.”

 

“I’d never leave you, Betts.” And he meant it. What Betty didn’t know was that he was already making plans to make her his forever.

 

Jughead opened his arms to her. She relished the moment and wrapped her body around his as she let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes again. She was enraptured in this moment, falling asleep in his arms within minutes. As Betty slept on him, Jughead thought about last night. It had gone seamlessly, with no one to interrupt either of them as they both moved through wind and water together for the first time. The only thing that worried him though, was that it probably didn’t feel that good for her at all; he knew enough to know that she probably hadn’t done _that_ while he had and that didn’t seem fair to him. And so, as Betty slept, he grabbed his phone next to the night stand. If he wanted to make Betty come undone, he would need to do a little bit of “research.” And thankfully, Jughead Jones was a pro when it came to this type of thing: finding answers to life’s problems over the internet ( _and he reasoned he could probably find out how to make love to a woman from the internet, too_ ). He had, after all, found Betty there.

…

Later that morning, Betty woke up alone. A soft blanket had been purposefully draped over her midsection (Jughead had clearly wanted her to sleep comfortably, she thought). As she opened her eyes, she felt the side of the bed where Jughead’s sleeping body had taken up residence during the night. _Empty._ A deep indention stood in place of the one that their bodies that had created against the fabric mere hours before. Betty smiled as her fingers traced the folds in the sheets (for it was here, Betty thought, that he had made her into a woman) and so Betty she relished the spot, for it was also the place where one of life’s mysteries had been revealed to her.

 

After she had fallen asleep against Jughead, he had ( _somehow_ ) managed to slip away undetected. He had generously allowed her to sleep in for the remainder of the morning. As she sat up, she noted the faintest aroma emanating from the kitchen, which smelled of vanilla, smoke, and freshly baked bread. She grinned. He was obviously cooking for them, which (she thought) was a distinctly Jughead thing to do. This felt like home to her and reminded her of when he would cook for them back at his apartment on Saturday mornings (that is, on the occasion when he _didn’t_ have to work a morning shift at the coffee shop). She got up and threw a night-shirt over her head and angled her body towards the entrance to the bedroom. She put her bare feet against the wooden flooring beneath the bed, sucked her breath in, and took a step towards the kitchen. She thought briefly about how this was technically her first step ‘as a woman’ since she and Jughead had crossed that threshold. She smiled and shook her head, unsure if virginity was a social construct or was something more special than that. For her, at least, it had truly been the latter.

 

Betty found him in the kitchen; he appeared to be in the throes of preparing (or at the very least _attempting_ to prepare) a rather gourmet breakfast. He was still wearing his pajamas as he held the handle of the metal pan against the heat, eyeing the ingredients next to him as he adjusted the temperature. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned his face in her direction moments later as she stood at the front entrance of the kitchen watching him. He stopped what he was doing almost immediately, having placed the spatula he was using down carefully against a white plate while simultaneously lowering the heat on the stove. He walked over to her, striding purposefully towards the door, and planted a fervent kiss against her lips for nearly ten seconds; they’re lips unstuck with a resounding ‘pop.’

 

“Sit.” Jughead motioned to the table, which was set for two.

 

“What’s all this?”

 

“I’m making you breakfast.”

 

“I can see that, but you _didn’t_ …”

 

“ _Na-uh-uh_. Not another word, Betts. Come here.”

 

Jughead pulled a seat out for her, which she happily took. When Jughead resumed cooking at the stovetop, Betty noticed a tiny opaque vase filled with fresh purple perennials at the center of the table. The florals looked exactly like the wild flowers that grew in colorful clusters around the cottage. She wondered if he had picked them from the garden outside. As her eyes roamed about the kitchen, she noticed a tiny pair of shears and some freshly cut stems on the other side of the counter. Apparently Jughead had gone outside, presumably in his pajamas ( _or shirtless, she smirked at the thought_ ), and picked fresh flowers for their ‘morning after’ breakfast. It was a simple gesture, but his careful attention to detail (even for something as a basic as breakfast) was just another confirmation of the depths of his feelings for her.

 

After a few minutes passed, Betty watched as Jughead turned the heat off the stove. The heat on the pan simmered for another minute, gradually dying down as the tiny bubbles against the metal dissipated. When the pan was safe to pick up, Jughead grabbed its handle and walked over to the kitchen table as the pan’s contents moved precariously against its metal bottom. He placed several pancakes onto her plate and returned the pan to the skillet and grabbed two small glass dishes, one filled with chocolate and the other filled with strawberries.

 

Betty raised an eyebrow at him, “Care to tell me how you have these fresh delicacies here when were essentially in the middle of nowhere? Where did you get all of this?” She quipped.

 

Jughead pursed his lips together as he raised one eyebrow at her, “You’ve foiled my plan, Betts. And here I was about to give you some pure unadulterated romance and now your questioning my method of seduction?”

 

“ _Jughead_.” Betty laughed.

 

“Alright,” Jughead conceded, “It came with the room. Remember? They put fresh food in the fridge ahead of time, _so_ …”

 

Betty finished his sentence, “So Mr. and Mrs. Jones wouldn’t be disturbed?” She thought it would be funny to quote the typo from their ‘welcome letter’ back to him.

 

“Something like that.” Jughead’s face flushed as he looked down at his plate. (And yeah, he thought, ‘I don’t need anyone disturbing us during that ever again. And one day, _maybe_ , you’ll say yes to being Mrs. Jones _for real_ ’). He shot up suddenly, which confused Betty as he started to look visibly panicked, “I forgot the whipped cream. Sorry, Betts.”

 

Betty watched as Jughead ran over to the fridge and moved its contents around frantically to try and find it. He moved something else and his hand pulled it out triumphantly, “Here we are. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, Jug.”

 

“No, it’s not, I just…”

 

Betty looked up at him. He looked flustered (as thought the lack of frothy topping was somehow the proverbial end of the world).

 

Jughead let out a deep sigh, “I just wanted _this_ to be perfect for you. It’s what you deserve.”

 

Now, Betty wondered if this is about something more than just breakfast. She wondered if Jughead was somehow worried about last night, and yes, _she hadn’t_ , but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a nice first time.

“ _Jughead_.”

 

He looked up at her, his concern was palpable.

 

Betty reached out her hand and grabbed his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze, “This _is_ perfect.”

 

“It is?”

 

“ _Yes_ ,” Betty nodded.

 

Relieved, Jughead let out a deep breath and smiled as they continued eating their breakfast.

 

When Betty finished eating, she sat up from her chair and grabbed her plate. She was about to walk over to the sink to wash it off, but Jughead beat her to it; he jumped up from his seat and ran over to the sink before she even had a chance to turn on the faucet. He took the plate out of her hands, placed it in the center of the sink, and kissed her.

 

“Allow me, Betts.”

 

Jughead began running water over the plate carefully as Betty watched him. When he was finished, he grabbed a hand-towel, dried his hands, and turned to find her still standing there smiling.

 

Betty found his behavior quite endearing and she decided that he needed a little reassurance ( _she’d have him again this morning if he was ready and willing_ ). Perhaps, she thought, it was time for her to initiate something with him.

 

“I should shower,” Betty said coolly.

 

Jughead agreed, “Honestly, we should probably get ready if we want to make any sort of tour today.”

 

“I suppose,” Betty said quietly as she turned and walked to the edge of the kitchen. Jughead’s eyes followed her. Then, she turned around again, “Well, are you coming?”

 

Jughead watched as Betty pulled her night shirt over her head. As it hit the floor, she walked in the direction of the shower, bare from the waist up. Jughead didn’t need to be told twice. He grinned and pulled his pajama shirt over his head quickly, leaving it to wrinkle on the kitchen floor as he followed her into the bathroom. By the time he got in there, Betty was already in the shower. She opened the door and pulled him in as he slipped his boxers off. As Jughead shut the glass door, Betty pulled him closer, pressing her mouth against his.

…

After they had showered (and truthfully, it wasn’t exactly _just_ showering), Jughead wrapped a towel around his waist and helped Betty out of the shower, steadying her steps so she wouldn’t slip on the smooth flooring beneath their feet. He grabbed a fresh towel off the rack next to the shower and carefully dried her off and wrapped it around her. Betty, in turn, grabbed a towel from the rack and dried his hair, rubbing the towel over his black curls at a rapid rate. The result was a head of black hair that stuck out in every direction.

 

Jughead raised one eyebrow at her and Betty began laughing in response.

 

He wiggled his eyebrows again playfully, as his towel slipped down, “Whoops.” He pulled it up quickly and secured it against his hips with a precariously tied knot. Then, he pulled her closer to him and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. When their lips unstuck, Betty looked up at him.

 

“What is it, babe?”

 

“ _Earlier_ …”

 

Jughead grew quiet and let out a deep breath as he looked at her, still a bit overwhelmed by the time they had just spent together. He leaned down to kiss her a bit more sexily.

…

Once they got dressed, Betty grabbed her purse from the dining room table as Jughead ran into the bedroom to grab his keys and wallet. When they locked the door to the cabin, Jughead pulled Betty flush against him and kissed her. Betty let out a sound of pleasure as he kissed her languidly. When their lips parted, Betty decided to use the moment ( _and her feminine wiles_ ) to get the itinerary for the day out of him. She ran one finger along the collar of his shirt, and then she put both of her hands into his pockets and pulled his waist against her own.

 

“And where are we going today?” Betty wrapped her arms around his neck playfully, “Hmm?”

 

Jughead sucked in his breath at the contact (he still couldn’t believe she was all his now). “ _We_ are going to the Aran Islands today.”

 

“Wow, you’re not even going to fight me or say, ‘oh Betty, it’s a surprise’ and ‘you’ll love it, stop asking me questions’?”

 

“I guess not,” Jughead blushed (his mind was elsewhere; he was still thinking about what she had done to him in the shower), “But we have to go now because we have to take a ferry ride to get there. And it’s about forty minutes long, so we’d better go, babe” Jughead grabbed her hand and led her to the car.

…

As they drove to Galway, Betty began looking up every conceivable fact about the Aran Islands on her phone. Jughead watched in amusement as she scrolled through several tabs, her face transfixed on the tiny blue screen. He knew she was likely to do something like that (Betty was in the perpetual habit of looking up everything about everything) which is why he tried to make the other places a surprise. Today though, he was too sated to fight her on just about anything really, so he let her have her fun as they continued driving down the road. And then there was that other thing his mind was preoccupied with. As Betty had slept on him this morning, Jughead had made a rather startling discovery on the internet regarding the female anatomy; he secretly hoped he’d get to put his “research” into practice when they were alone again (and just thinking about it made him smirk).

…

Later that day, they parked their car at a circular bay and walked towards the large boat in the distance that was swaying lightly against the edge of the water. The wind was roaring all around them, which made the waves beyond the hull look choppy. As they piled onto the ferry, which would take them to the Aran Islands, Betty looked up ahead and noticed the clouds in the distance.

 

“Do you think it’s going to rain? I didn’t bring anything for this type of weather.”

 

Jughead sighed, “Well, if it does, you can use me as a covering, deal?”

 

Betty kissed him, “I don’t think that’s going to work, but okay.”

 

Betty settled comfortably next to him as he placed his arm around her.

…

By the time they got off the Ferry, the sky was overcast and it began to sprinkle lightly; however, Betty was determined to make the most of the situation as they trudged onwards. She ignored the droplet’s that began to fall on them both as they approached the tour group, sloughing them off easily with her palm. Betty’s eyes lit up as the tour guide began his introduction of the area.

 

_“The Aran Islands are made up of three islands at the edge of Galway Bay. The largest island, which we are on currently, is Inishmore. It’s home to fort of Dún Aonghasa, which is a prehistoric fort on the island. Although we cannot tell when it was erected with certainty, like the other structures in the Aran Islands, this fort likely dates from the Bronze or Iron age.”_

When the tour guide directed them to what appeared to be a structure made of stone up ahead, Betty and Jughead stood aside and allowed the other tourists to pass them. Considering the magnitude of the previous night, they had been sharing a lot of ‘little moments’ between just the two of them already, which usually consisted of one ( _or both_ ) staring at the other longingly with neither saying anything to the other. During these private moments, Jughead was usually the one that leaned down to kiss Betty on the lips or touch her in some way, whether it be a light caress of the cheek, or the feel of her hand against his. It was evident to any onlooker that they were gone for each other.

 

They had shared a moment like this on the ferry, too, when Betty leaned into Jughead to kiss him - _perhaps_ for more than the appropriate time one should kiss their loved one in public, but that didn’t stop her. After several sensual kisses, an elderly man cleared his throat and turned the pages of his newspaper; the sound had temporarily broken their lips apart, with Jughead smiling down at Betty as she covered her mouth with her hand. Betty decided to be bold though, she brought him in for one more kiss, which caused the elderly man to raise his eyebrows at her. When the same man got up to go outside and stand near the hull of the ferry, Jughead kissed her neck and let his lips linger there. He straightened up immediately, though, when the old man came back inside to sit down, which caused Betty let out a laugh.

 

So, it was no surprise when they found themselves making out next to the first stop on the tour, completely oblivious to anyone around them. And thankfully, most people had followed the tour guide up the rugged steps of the stone structure, so no one really noticed them in the throes of passion anyways. And if they did, they didn’t say anything as Jughead kissed Betty again and again.

 

An hour into their tour, the rain began to pour heavily, temporarily halting their exploration of the prehistoric islands.

 

Jughead seemed to have decided as much, noting the gray clouds making their way towards them, “Should we take the ferry back, babe? This doesn’t seem like it’s going to let up any time soon unfortunately.”

 

Betty looked back at the sky a little begrudgingly before looking back at him, “Alright,” She sighed in agreement.

 

Jughead grabbed her hand, “I’m sorry, babe.”

 

“It’s alright. I got quite a few good pictures. And anyways, I’m just glad I got to see part of it.”

 

“Me too. And hey, if we don’t make it back, at least we can say we truly experienced real Irish weather: dreary and downcast.”

 

“Where’d you get that idea? It’s been lovely since we got here.”

 

“James Joyce’s _Dubliners_. He spent endless paragraphs (and too many alliterations for my liking) describing the terrible weather here.”

 

“Well, perhaps we can read that obnoxious book when we get back,” Betty sighed, “That might be the only way we get to experience Ireland today, in our dispirited minds.” Betty rolled her eyes when she noticed that he was looking at her like he had something to hide.

 

“What?”

 

“ _Nothing_.”

 

(But it wasn’t nothing, Jughead thought, she just didn’t know what he was going to do to her as soon as they got back to the cottage.)

 

“Jughead, you’d better tell me what you’re thinking.” Betty inched closer to him, lips grazing over his in an instant, “You look like you’re up to something.”

 

Jughead’s breathe caught as he cleared his throat, “I promise you we will have a lot of fun this evening, Betts. I’ll even let you pick the book we read.” (And yeah, I’ll read to you, he thought, _after_ I make love to you).

 

Betty seemed satisfied with that answer and wrapped her arms around him contentedly as Jughead pressed a kiss to her forehead. He smiled, knowing that she didn’t know what he had planned for them both that evening.

…

On the drive back to the cottage, Jughead couldn’t get his mind off his internet research. He had discovered something that he hadn’t really heard of before. And yes, he was definitely male, but he didn’t have a female body, so there was really no way for himself or any of the ‘horn-dog high schoolers’ he was forced to share a locker room with back in the day to know about _this_ (at least, not without trying it out on a female). And sure, perhaps he was feeling a tad overconfident, but there was only one way to find out. ‘Practice makes perfect as they say,’ a mantra Jughead repeated in his mind (and at the same time he rolled his eyes at his own maleness in this moment; it was, he thought, a decidedly jock-ish way to think) as he sped towards the cabin.

 

When they got inside, Betty was about reiterate again that it was ‘a shame that the weather had shortened their trip to the Aran Islands,’ but Jughead had other plans. Before she could finish her sentence, Jughead picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. Betty was in shock as her ponytail bobbed upside down as he carried her down the hallway. Betty laughed and pretended to beat his back, uttering ‘Jug’ and ‘let me down, you,’ but he just grinned and ignored her pretend pleas.

 

Jughead walked straight into the bedroom, excited about what he was about to do to her as he headed straight for the bed and flung her down atop the sheets. He smiled down at her and pulled his shirt up over his head, not paying attention to where (and whether) it had even landed. He saw the shock in her eyes, her pupils blown in surprise, but before she could protest further, he bent down and smothered her lips with his own. Betty responded accordingly by deepening the kiss. Things escalated from there, leaving them both breathing heavily against one another’s necks.

 

“Jughead?” Betty was out of breath, “I want to it’s just…last night. _I’m a bit_...”

 

“Shhh,” was all that Jughead said against her neck as he kissed it. Then, he pulled her shirt above her waist and planted a kiss against her stomach, then another and another. Betty pulled her shirt over her head, lace nearly catching against her hair as she flung it over the bed. The fabric curved midair and landed silently as Jughead continued kissing her.

 

“Juggie?” Betty was out of breath as he pulled her pants down her long lean legs, “What are you…”

 

Jughead placed a kiss on her thigh. As he watched her eyelids flutter, he yanked her panties down her legs. Soon it was apparent to Betty that he was going to try _that_ again. She could barely manage to choke out his name as his head moved further down.

 

It had worked for the most part. Much later, Jughead pulled Betty on top of him and pushed into her. As she began seeing stars, Jughead smiled up at her. He watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head before she choked out his name. Yes, he thought, the research had been a success.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my lifeblood. If you enjoyed this chapter, please comment. Thanks.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Jughead Jones drops a lot of (sexual) euphemisms in this chapter. The pair explore Doolin in County Clare, Ireland. Lastly, Jughead has a very important question to ask Betty.
> 
> Author's Note: I apologize for the delay in updating this fic. I took a short break from writing it because I didn't want to update just for the sake of updating. I also wanted to make sure this chapter turned out exactly as I envisioned it. Meanwhile, check out my other fic, Santa Fe. If you like this fic, you'll probably enjoy that one as well!
> 
> Please comment. I could really use the validation tonight. Thank you!

19.

“Jug,” Betty trailed her lips downward, whispering against his ear, “I didn’t know it could feel like _that_. Can we, _again_?”

 

“ _Betty!_ ”

 

“What?”

 

“It doesn’t work like that, Betts.” Jughead pulled his gaze away from the ceiling, turning to look at her, “You have to let me rest a few minutes.”

 

“But it worked the first couple of times.”

 

Jughead smiled and covered his face with his hands. He needed to work on his stamina (at this rate, with Betty gunning for round three, he’d have to).

 

But thankfully, he recharged the next morning; they spent the better part of an hour and a half getting to know one another all over again. By the time they were done, it was late in the day - already half past eleven. When Jughead looked at the time on the metal clock beside his bed, he shot up and screened the floor for his boxers. Betty jumped off the bed simultaneously and pulled a pair of fresh cotton underwear up her legs and reached for her lace bra. Once she hooked the metal in the back, she twisted it up and over her chest. The pair scrambled around the room, each tossing the other their own articles of clothing that had been thrown around haphazardly from the night before.

 

“Where do you want to go today, Betts?”

 

“You’re the tour guide, remember?”

 

“Yes, of many veritable landscapes _and deep recesses_.”

 

“Jughead Jones, don’t think for a minute that I did not just catch on to what you just said.”

 

“What?” He treated her to a coy smile as he pulled his denim on and smirked as he looped his belt around his waist.

 

Betty shook her head as she pulled her sweater over her tank top. “Look, as long as you don’t start dropping Shakespearian references to sex, _were good_.”

 

“Me? I would _never_.”

 

Betty raised one eyebrow at him as she tugged her sleeve down the length of her arm.

 

“Like what? A whispering eye?”

 

“ _Jughead_ ,” Betty moved forward to whack at him playfully, but he caught her hand in his. He pulled her into him, arms encircling her waist so he could kiss her again, but not before he mouthed ‘ _I love you_ ,’ brushing her nose with his lips.

 

“I love you too.”

 

“Now, back to my original question,” Jughead blew a stray curl out of his face and looked down at her, “How would you like to spend our day, babe? We’ll go wherever you want, see whatever you want to see. Your wish is my command.”

 

“I’d like to spend the day in a small coastal town, one by the seaside _with_ a pub. They have a plethora of them here.”

 

“Very funny. But since those are your requirements, we could go explore Doolin. It’s on the northwest coast of County Clare. There’s a tiny village there, it’s a tad remote with several shops and from what I saw online, there’s a nice view of the bay there.”

 

“Okay,” Betty pulled his hands out as she kissed him, “So long as we can come back here _early_.”

 

“ _Betty_.”

 

Betty stepped on her tiptoes and gently nipped Jughead’s lip. It was an invitation for more making-out, that much he could tell, but he had to pull away from her. He sighed and said, “We should leave, Betts.” At the rate they were going, they would never get out of the cottage.

 

(Not that he minded, though, but he figured this might be his only time to visit Ireland).

…

On their drive to Doolin, they couldn’t keep their hands off one another. It started with Betty’s hands; she began brushing the scalp on the back of his head, trailing her fingers down his neck and sliding her fingers against his skin. With no one else to see them, Jughead began to trail his hands up the length of her long, lean legs, just barely stopping at the hem of her shorts; Betty to let out a sigh (the same one he’d heard her make last night as he got her close). Hearing that sound reverberating from her throat did something to him; he found himself suddenly removing his hand from her thigh and clearing his throat. He sat up straight, clutched the steering wheel tightly, and willed his excitement to go down. He thought he had gotten it out of his system this morning as they had consummated their relationship again, but apparently his manhood had a mind of his own. It had one thought only – _Betty_. Just Betty. Betty all the time, day or night. And it was worse now, so much worse. First, it was her laugh, then her smile (and maybe it was simply just _her_ ).

 

After half an hour of exchanging light touches and breathy sighs between one another, they finally arrived in Doolin. Jughead spotted a row of empty parking spots in the distance and angled the steering wheel in that direction. He parked the car with ease, but as he attempted to exit the vehicle, he was ambushed by the wind, which whipped his hair into rooster like spikes. Betty, who watched the entire thing unfold, laughed from the inside of the car. After a minute or two, the gust of air from the Northern winds finally died down. Jughead shut the side door and ran over to help Betty out of the car. She discovered that the door was heavier than she remembered as another whiplash of wind hit them, causing her hair to spin into yellow strands as it hung suspended in the air. She looked like Rapunzel in peril as she tried to untangle her blonde hair, fighting against the wind as it continued to hit her from all different directions.

 

“There’s my recompense, Juliet, whose hair is a tangled mess now.”

 

Betty stuck her tongue at him as her umbrella took on a life of its own and puffed out from the unruly winds, “Shit.”

 

“Here, let me help you with that.”

 

Jughead struggled for a moment with the umbrella, but managed to pull it into submission. Then, he secured it with the fabric at its end and handed it back to her.

 

“Thanks, Juggie. I can’t believe how windy it is today.”

 

“Afraid you’ll blow away?”

 

“Shut up,” Betty said playfully as she tossed the umbrella back in the car.

 

Thinking he’d have a bit of fun, Jughead raised an eyebrow at her and said, “But Betty, what if it’s sprinkles again, or heaven forbid we get rain.” Jughead lowered his voice and took on a solemn, monotonous pitch (mimicking every single weatherman he’d ever heard) as he asked, “In event of a storm, will _you_ be prepared?”

 

“Okay, you know what, enough with you teasing me about being Type A, Jug. We already got rained out once, and I just wanted to be prepared this time.”

 

“You forgot hyperactive,” Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist, “And high-spirited – _definitely_.”

 

“I’m not hyperactive, I just have a lot of _Pep!_ That’s what we call it in Riverdale, Jughead. Perhaps I’ll take you home with me one day, provided that my mother is out of town that weekend. Then, you can get a dose of Pep for yourself. You’ll probably have to put up with my dad though. He’s not too bad, he’s just obsessed with cars and ‘his old glory days.’ So, you’ll have to sit through that, but he’s a lot more bearable than my mother.”

 

“Pep? Your joking, right? that sounds like an upper, Betty.”

 

“No, it doesn’t, Jug.”

 

“Yeah, it kind of does.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “Let’s not have it out in the middle of nowhere. Betty took another step forward, when she turned around and bit her lower lip and said, “By the way, Jughead, I finally figured something out about you. Bantering with someone, what with your flowery vocabulary and all, is basically your idea of foreplay.”

 

Jughead glanced down at her, extremely amused, “Is that so? Well, if you can ‘out talk’ me today, I can promise you that you’ll be memorizing every thread on the sheets tonight.”

 

“Okay, here goes nothing. You, Jughead Jones, are bombastically erudite.”

 

“Nice,” He offered with a sly grin, “Got anything else?”

“Yeah, okay. A weird word I heard the other day - pusillanimous?”

 

Jughead just looked at her and then started laughing hysterically.

 

“What’s funny?”

 

“That’s where the term ‘pussy’ comes from, it means cowardly.”

 

“Oh,” Betty said quietly, “I didn’t know that.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Jughead put his hand on her shoulder, “I’ll make sure _she’s_ not afraid, she likes me I think, _a whole lot_.”

 

“Wait, are you talking about _my_ – _Jughead_. How did this turn into _that_?”

 

“Hey, you started it.” He conceded, “You mentioned the word foreplay and it went from there.”

 

“I guess I did, but you promised me a passionate night if I out-witted you.”

 

“That I did, and you delivered. And I’ll make good on my promise Betts.”

 

Betty shook her head, “You’re so ridiculous.”

 

After they crossed the street, Betty spotted a bookstore, the name of which was written in Gaelic in a sign above it – Glas Leabhar. It sat beside what she assumed was the only pub in the area. It was decorated with hand-painted Celtic knots on top of a wooden door frame. The other shops were seated on a downward slope against a large expanse of green grass, which bled into the distant hills and downwards towards valley beneath them. A long way off, they could just barely make out the edges of the Cliffs of Moher, which had subsequently become one of Jugheads favorite memories to share with Betty. ( _That and making love to her for the very first time.)_

 

“Okay, we have to get at least one book here, Jug. It’d be a shame not to what with your elaborate collection of books back at your apartment.”

 

“Okay, I know what you’re implying again, Betty. I am not a book hoarder!”

 

“Hey, keep telling yourself that.”

 

Jughead laughed and said, “You can get anything you want Betts, but don’t forget, the suitcases have a weight limit.”

 

“Of course they do, which is why anything I buy will be going into your suitcase. Thanks in advance for packing light.”

 

“What!” Jughead laughed and shook his head as Betty grabbed his hand and yanked him excitedly into the bookstore.

 

As they stepped inside, a bell above the door chimed, revealing their presence to the man behind the counter. The inside of the bookstore was dark with oak paneling on the walls and the shelves were nearly six feet tall.

 

“Okay, this store looks like an old meeting place for druids, bats in the belfry, all that lore.”

 

“Keep your voice down, Jug. What if someone heard what you just said?”

 

“If they did, will you run out of the store and pretend you don’t know me?”

 

“What’s gotten into you, Jug? Your sassier than usual today.”

 

Betty took a step towards the ‘Irish Lit’ section and pulled a well-worn copy of _Ulysses_ from the shelf. Jughead, in turn stepped forward so he was behind her and whispered against her ear (taking great care to lower his voice so that only she could hear him), “More like _who_ was beneath me this morning, singing my name like it was a veritable choral tradition.”

 

“ _Jughead_ ,” Betty seethed as she turned around, “Oh my god, _someone will hear you_!”

 

“No, they won’t. I just watched the sole shopkeeper disappear behind the counter.”

 

“Okay, your being bad today Jug.”

 

“So bad, _I’m good_?” He said in response, curling his upper lip at her. He was alluding to something she had uttered the previous night.

 

“That’s enough!” Betty slammed the book shut and re-shelved it, “Okay, Mr. Testosterone, I’m going to walk around the remainder of this store and pretend I don’t know you and if you make one more comment to me.”

 

“You’ll what?”

 

At this point, Betty was feeling paranoid that someone had overheard them. Betty’s eyes darted left, then right, looking around to make sure they were truly alone. (He was right, at least no one was in their vicinity for now – _and thank the good lord for that_ , Betty thought).

Betty turned around and looked at Jughead, who was still smiling, “You know what, I give up.” She walked away from him and went over to look at books in the ‘Business and Economics’ section. She was wondering why he was acting so flirty today, carrying himself in a way that she wanted to ignore, but just couldn’t. Betty felt heat spread to her neck and subsequently spread to her cheeks. He was obviously feeling very prideful about _that_ (not that she was complaining, though).

 

After about fifteen minutes, Jughead reemerged, brandishing a paper bag, “Your right, I was acting ridiculous earlier. Sorry. Here, I have a peace offering.”

 

“What’s inside the bag?”

 

“Oh, that’s mine. The bag is yours.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You’re so beautiful that I need you to wear a bag over your head so that I can stop thinking about you.”

 

Betty covered her face, “And here I thought you said you were going to stop acting ridiculous. And by the way, what you just said was super campy, but I’ll take it.”

 

“I’m just messing around, Betts, but I did find us a book for later. Did you find anything?”

 

“Not yet. Give me ten more minutes and we can head out of here.”

…

After Betty checked out, they stepped outside and were hit with another burst of wind. It blew the metal sign hanging from the rafter, causing it to sway back and forth for a few seconds. Betty paused outside the door, observing the weather around them and then looked back at Jughead.

 

“Sorry for earlier, Betts. I was just messing around.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Betty squinted her eyes at him.

 

“Can I take you to lunch? They have one pub here, so it’ll kind of have to be there.”

 

“Only if you keep your hands to yourself.”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“ _Jughead_.”

 

“Okay, but I’m holding your hand. Unless, is that’s forbidden too?”

 

“I think you know what I mean, don’t make me spell It out.”

…

Unfortunately for Betty, though, her own plan backfired after both she and Jughead began imbibing pint after pint in the back of the pub. In between eating bites of food – Shephard’s pie and a cheese platter - Betty found herself staring at him hungrily. They sat in the secluded section too, which Betty realized was deliberate on his part.

 

“I like your moles,” Betty whispered in his ear, “They’re sexy like you are.

 

Jughead smirked, brushing his hand against her cheek, “Betty, remember your own rules, no touching, no getting handsy.”

 

“I don’t care,” Betty leaned in to kiss him. Jughead kissed her once more, then pulled away to avoid further uncouth behavior.

 

“Should I get the check?” He quipped.

 

“Uh-huh,” Betty said as she leaned in to kiss him again.

 

As they stepped outside again, it began sprinkling. The rain began hitting the rooves of the cars up ahead and dripping from the sunroof above them, sloshing onto the pavement and running down the hill in a thin, but steady stream of water.

 

“Betty,” Jughead pulled her close, sorry about earlier, in the bookstore I mean, I didn’t mean to act so unseemly. It’s just that,” Jughead ran his fingers through his hair on the side of his beanie, averting his gaze as he said softly, “I’m so in love with you. Sometimes when I look at you, I can’t believe your mine.”

 

“It’s alright, I forgive you.” Betty whispered in earnest as she kissed him, “ _Let’s go home_.”

…

On the way back to the cottage, Jughead was running over different scenarios in his mind. At the forefront of his mind was the prospect of marriage and eventually having a family of his own. He wondered if it would be the right time to ask Betty about _that_ (and perhaps, pop the question). He was feeling a little uncertain about the timing, and if he was honest with himself, he was still afraid of rejection. It was a distinct possibility, she could always say ‘no’ or that she wasn’t ‘ready,’ or that it just ‘wasn’t the right time.”

 

Jughead decided that he should probably tell her about his new job first. Plus, it would give her the added security of knowing that they wouldn’t be in financial trouble _if_ she decided to say yes. But what if now wasn’t the right time? Betty deserved something bigger than this, something more personal. Jughead ran over another option in his head. He could wait until they were back in New York and settled comfortably in his apartment again. Then, he’d surprise her. Suddenly, the idea came to him all at once: a brilliant way to ask her, tie everything together, _and_ make it feel personal.

 

But first, he’d bring it up casually now, ease into the topic, gauge her reaction – strike when the proverbial coal was hot – ‘but fuck, what if this ends badly,’ he thought, shoulders tensing suddenly. “Hey, Betts,” He turned to Betty as she was watching the road disappear behind the rental car, “Can I ask you something?”

 

“Okay.”

 

(He would play it cool, he had to.)

 

“I was just thinking about something funny we talked about a long time ago online.”

 

“We talked about a lot of stuff then, you’ll have to be more specific than that Jug.”

 

“Do you still picture yourself having two kids?”

 

“Sure,” Betty laughed, “In an idealized version of what my hypothetical future married life _might_ look like, and that’s a big might.”

 

“Oh?” Jughead was nervous now. She didn’t sound nearly as enthusiastic as he thought she might about that. She had been a lot more forthcoming and detailed about her future plans with him online.

 

“I mean, my parents always wanted me to settle down and have a family, but I kind of want to do that on my own terms you know?”

 

“Oh, so something different from what you told me when we used to be chatting buddies?”

 

“Yeah, maybe, but more than that I’d like to at least make my own decisions about that or kids. I just don’t want to feel pushed into anything I don’t want to do or I’m not ready for. But what do I know, right? We’re only in our twenties.”

 

_Shit._

 

“What about you, Jug? Do you still want four kids?” She said with a lighthearted laugh, “And by the way, I think you’re a loon. It’s easy to say that when you’re not the one giving birth to them! Ask any girl, I _guarantee_ she’ll side with me”

 

“Yeah,” Jughead chuckled, “True.” But in truth, he was suddenly feeling very insecure, ‘Does she no longer want what I want,’ Jughead thought. We were on similar pages when we talked freely and openly online, with no fear of speaking our minds. _What’s changed?_ _Is it me?_

 

“Betty,” Jughead cleared his throat and said, “So, I guess you’ve changed your mind about some things, huh?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know Jug. I mean, were _so_ young. I’m just trying to be fluid and not assume that things may or may not go a certain way, you know? I just want to be open to new possibilities.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, for example, maybe when I’m say 25, I’d want to delay getting married for a year to travel, but these are all hypotheticals of course. “Why?” Betty laughed, “What brought this on?”

 

“No reason,” Jughead lied, “Just wondering.”

 

(But truthfully, he was quite disappointed at this point.)

…

“Hey, Betts,” Jughead slammed his side of car the door shut, “Do you want to take a walk around here?”

 

“Okay, just let me throw my purse inside so I don’t have to lug it around, “Is that alright?”

 

“Sure, I’ll come with you.”

 

“Here,” Jughead unlocked the front door and stepped into the cottage with her. He shifted uncomfortably as Betty walked into the mudroom, quickly shoving his hands in his pockets. His awkward movements didn’t go unnoticed by Betty though. She turned around to look at him as she hung her purse strap on the coat rack.

 

“Is everything alright, Jug?”

 

“Yeah,” He lied again, “I just wanted to talk. I was thinking we could explore the area too.”

 

“Oh,” Betty wondered why he was quiet suddenly, but she couldn’t think of anything she’d done to cause his demeanor to change so rapidly so she acceded to his request, “Yeah,” she smiled and reached out for his hand once more, “Let’s go – _oh_ , but before I forget, I’m grabbing a blanket in case we need a rest break. Plus, I get cold really easily.”

 

After Jughead locked the cabin door, they walked around the length of the cottage and began following a well-worn trail, which ended towards the expanse of water far ahead of them. They could already hear it breaking against the rocks at the bottom of the hill.

 

Betty looked over at Jughead, noticing that his eyebrows were inverted. He looked visibly upset and she wanted to know why.

 

“Jug, is something the matter? When you said you wanted to talk earlier, you sounded a bit terse.”

 

Jughead was quiet for a moment as he looked ahead, thinking of the proper way to respond to her question. Then he turned to face her.

 

“Betty, earlier…I’m sorry,” Jughead took of his beanie and scratched his head, “But I have to ask, when we were chatting in the car, was that about _us_?”

 

“Wait,” Betty paused, searching his face, “Jug, you thought that - _oh_. I’m sorry, I should have been clearer. No, that was more to do with my parents and me making my own decisions, you know, being in control of my own destiny instead of them deciding it for me.”

 

“It was?”

 

Betty pressed her hand to his cheek, “Yes, what did you think it was about?”

 

“I’m not sure,” He said, “But I was hoping it wasn’t about you and I.”

 

“Sorry, Jug. I didn’t mean to upset you. You and I talked about everything together when we were online chatting buddies. I forget that sometimes, please don’t take what I said as a reflection of what I think about us.”

 

“Really?”

 

“ _Really_ ,” Betty leaned in to kiss him, “By the way, I feel like taking advantage of the cabin amenities later, perhaps in the form of a giant bubble bath.”

 

“You do?” His pupils dilated as his mind began to go there again. Betty in a bathtub. _Naked._ ‘Dude, remember to breathe.’

 

“Totally, but let’s walk around here a bit longer, yes?

 

“Okay.” (But poor Jughead, at the mere mention of a bubble bath, his mind was officially preoccupied with other things – ah well, he thought, c'est la vie – this is what it’s like to be in love with a woman, you think about making love to her all day long).

 

Betty linked her arm with his as they continued walking up ahead.

 

“Wow, I can already feel the sea breeze from here. Do you smell that? It smells earthy, like salt and musk.”

 

“And,” He added, “I can almost smell the cold front coming in. Do you feel that?”

 

“It is chilly, isn’t it?

 

“Yes, but the afternoons here get a little heat. That makes it more bearable to me.”

 

“Speaking of heat, maybe you can light me a fire tonight? I want to soak in the tub and feel the heat of the fire hit me.”

 

“Someone’s spoiled, but yes, that I can do.”

 

“Yes, I am.” Betty leaned in to kiss him,” Do you mind if we walk to the edge down there, I know that’s a bit of a far walk, but I want to enjoy all of this while I’m here with you.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” he decided, “I want that too.”

 

Betty and Jughead climbed over a mild slope and then walked up the side of the mountain, nearing the edge as light drops of water hit their faces.

 

“Jug,” Betty tugged his hand, brushing her fingertips against the fleshy part of his palm, “Let’s stop here.”

 

Betty let go of his hand and spread the white blanket down onto the ground, covering the crunchy grass as she sat down on top of it. Then, she curled her legs around and patted the top of the cotton, “Sit.”

 

Jughead plopped down beside her, crossing his legs. Instead of relaxing though, his eyes focused on some unknown object in the distance. Betty’s sighed as her limbs flailed all over the blanket, she laid down and looked up at the sky. When Jughead didn’t do the same, she sat up again and pulled him down with her.

 

Now facing each other, Betty grabbed his face and gently pulled it to hers, “Okay, what’s wrong?”

 

He let out a sigh, “Sorry, I was just thinking about my family.”

 

Betty curled his hair around his ear, “Are you missing them?”

 

“Yeah, of course, but I don’t miss the problems that came with them, you know? I’m sorry, that’s an awful thing to think about during our moment.”

 

“No, it’s not. But if you don’t mind me asking, what made you think of them just now.”

 

“Well, Jughead pulled his beanie off and tossed it to his left, he ran one hand through his hair, “If you want my honest answer, I suppose you made me think of them.”

 

“Me? How so?”

 

Jughead hoped what he was about to say wouldn’t bite him in the ass later, ‘here goes nothing’ he thought, as he grabbed her face and ran his thumbs against the swell of her cheeks “Well, in all honestly, your kind of like my family now, Betts.”

 

“Me?” Betty smiled at him in disbelief.

 

“Yes, and I’m sorry if this is weird or just…”

 

Betty cut him off with a kiss, “No, it’s not, I think that’s really sweet actually.”

 

“So that’s not too much commitment for you?” He said, “Being my literal family now?”

 

Betty shook her head with certainty and a smile.

 

“And it’s not too much of me ‘trying to control your destiny’ by calling you my family, is it? Because, please, tell me right now Betts and I’ll back off.”

 

“It’s not,” Betty reiterated in a firm and unequivocal manner. She figured Jughead might be feeling a tad insecure after his deeply personal admission just now, so she leaned in to kiss him, brushing her lips against his twice in the hopes that he would reciprocate. Instead, he looked into her eyes like he could see inside of her again, much in the same way he did their very first time.

 

“I love you, Betty, _so much_.”

 

Betty moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, thankful no one was around to see them. She smiled and nudged his nose with hers as he grinned and kissed her without restraint. He began running his hands down her arms and around her waist without breaking their kisses.

 

Moments later, Jughead was breathless, having thought of a very important question – the answer to which would help him decide what his next course of action should be, “Betty” he nearly choked on his words as he managed to say, “Am I? Am I _enough_ for you?”

 

“Enough?” Betty blinked her eyes twice at she gazed at his.

 

“Yes, do I make you happy?” Jughead ran his fingers down her hair and then held her waist there. He was on a fucking roll with the personal soul probing questions today, not even knowing what had possessed him to say that just now; it had just slipped out.

 

“Yes,” Betty kissed him, “You’re more than enough, you make me so happy, Jughead. I feel like I don’t have to pretend when I’m with you. I can just be myself.” She rolled aside and pulled him on top her, allowing herself to get lost in the sensation of his lips (and truthfully, he was more than enough, everything she’d ever wanted really). He seemed to go wild once those words spilled from her lips, pressing himself against her center as he hiked her legs around his waist.

 

And with that, Jughead had his answer.

 

They had to stop kissing eventually, after all, they were practically rolling around on a verdant mountain, limbs and tongues tangled together above the Irish sea, and the sun, in all its orange burning splendor, was beginning to set, causing a shadow to fall over the valley beneath them.

 

Jughead pulled his lips from Betty’s and looked at her, “Betts.”

 

“What,” Betty leaned in to kiss him again, wrapping her legs tightly around him once more. The feel of her against him made him let out a low hum of pleasure. Betty relished the sound and began kissing him again.

 

“Betty,” Jughead said her name once more, tearing his mouth from hers unwillingly, “We should probably go see the water now or were not going to get the chance today.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Jughead kissed her once more. Neither even realized that a few pieces of grass had made their way into each other’s hair as they were tangled up in one another, their heads occasionally hitting a grassy patch at the edge of the blanket as they kissed.

 

Betty looked up at Jughead’s hair. Her eyes widened as a grin spread to her face and she started laughing.

 

“What?” Jughead blew a dark curl away from his eyes.

 

“I would say you have sex hair, but it’s more of an Irish farmer look you have going on right now,” Betty pulled a few strands of grass out of his head, much to his amusement. She laughed as she blew them into the air.

 

“Yeah, you don’t look any better, Betts, you look like you’ve been rolling in the hay with a Welshman.”

 

I was,” She said in earnest. Betty pressed another kiss against his lips.

 

“Come on, up you go,” Jughead pulled her up from the blanket as they shook the blades of grass from themselves. Betty straightened her sweater as Jughead shook his hair.

 

They walked hand in hand for a few more yards when Betty saw the expanse of water and stepped towards it. She noticed straightaway just how slippery the damp rocks beside the water were. Suddenly, she nearly slipped, but caught her balance at the last minute as Jughead ran over to her and took a tentative step around the wet rock she was standing on.

 

“That was close,” Jughead said as his hands curled protectively around her waist.

 

“Look how beautiful, Jug. We’ve gotten here just in time to see everything,” she said, glancing at nothing but miles and miles of grey-blue water disappearing against the horizon line.

 

“I’m glad I’m seeing this with you,” he said, “I like it when it’s just the two of us making memories together.”

 

“It’s been a week of many firsts,” Betty said as she pulled away from him so they were facing each other now. She wanted to look him in the eyes when she told him what she was about to say. Betty pressed her hand against his cheek, “Jug, I’m so glad I waited to be with you. This, the cabin - _you_ – you were everything to me. I love you, Jughead. I just wanted you to know that I’m honored that you think of me as your family _because you’re my family now, too_ – more so than anyone else I know.”

 

(All at once, Jughead regretted not bringing the emerald ring with him, suddenly second guessing the plans he had made for New York. But he did have the Claddagh ring in his zipped pocket, he had slipped it in there the other day when he pulled the bag out of the car. He had buried the real ring beneath his suitcase next to the bed).

 

“Jug,” Betty laughed as she coaxed him on what to say next, “ _This_ would be the part where you say you love me again.”

 

But Jughead just stared at her. He was so happy in this moment that he didn’t know what to say.

 

Betty eyed his fingers as they moved to the side pocket in his jacket, carefully brandishing the silver ring previously concealed beneath the folds of the fabric. Without thinking (and in hindsight, he really should have calmed himself down first), he grabbed her hand and put the ring on her finger, “This,” Jughead said, his voice tinged with extreme nervousness (which he now realized he would need to control if he ever hoped to do the real thing in New York city), “This is the Claddagh ring I got you on our trip to Connemara. It represents love, loyalty, and friendship. You’re my family now Betts, so I want to make sure I always give those things to you. I also wanted you to know that as long as you’re with me, you don’t ever have to feel alone.”

 

When she didn’t respond immediately (‘slow the hell down, dude, let her process,’ he yelled against his own cranium) Jughead stammered as he added, “Is that okay?”

 

A smile crept over Betty’s face as she looked down at the ring, “It’s more than okay.” She said, encircling the silver around her ring finger. She didn’t understand why he sounded so nervous, so to reassure him, she stepped onto her tiptoes (as much as she could muster in her hiking boots) and whispered ‘I love you’ against his mouth as she kissed him.

….

Once they got back to the cabin, Betty sloughed off her boots as Jughead hung up his coat – and, to her surprise – his hat.

 

Betty curled her hands around his neck, “I like seeing you without your hat on, Jug. Don’t get me wrong, the beanie is very endearing, but I feel like I’m the only one who gets to have you bare like this. It’s nice,” She said quietly.

 

“You’re the only one I take it off for, babe,” He said before kissing her, “I’m starving, so I’m going to heat something up for us for dinner. Why don’t you go sit in the living room and relax?”

 

“Are you sure?” Betty said cheerfully, “I could help.”

 

“Truthfully,” Jughead conceded, “I’m just going to put the pre-made dish of food in the oven – unless, you prefer something a bit fresher, in which case, I’ll whip us up something”

 

“Normally, I would beg you to cook us something, but I’m tired and I want us to be able to relax tonight and enjoy this place while were still _alone_.”

 

“Okay, don’t laugh at me, but when you said the word _alone_ just now I had this image of your friend Veronica Lodge climbing over the gate in the back and watching us fuck through the bedroom window. Pardon my choice language today but that’s what I saw in my head and it freaking terrified me.”

 

“Jughead!” Betty began laughing hysterically, but then stopped, “Wait, why does that seem like something Ronnie would do?”

 

“Is that terrible? I’m sorry, Betts. Hey, At least Hot Dog is in a kennel in upstate New York, otherwise, I don’t know how many more of these little interruptions I could take. At least Hot Dog isn’t here to bite me when I go hug you, or heaven forbid, give you a peck on the lips.”

 

“No, it’s not, but you just reminded me of something. I should probably check my phone. I’m sure Veronica is wondering where I am, we’ve been gone for days now.”

 

“Oh, please don’t. Don’t tell her where we are, Betts. Seriously - she _will_ come here.”

 

“Okay, you’re being a little paranoid now, Jug. Don’t you think?”

 

“Am I?” The fear in his eyes was palpable.

 

“Okay, perhaps not,” Betty admitted aloud. “It _is_ Veronica were talking about. I’ll hold off on contacting her for now.”

 

“Alright, let me go get started on dinner. In the meantime, just relax in the living room. I’ll come join you in a few.”

 

“Don’t be long,” Betty said as she leaned in to kiss him.

…

Betty went into the living room and grabbed a book from the shelf near the recliner. Then, she plopped down onto the couch and flipped through the pages. She paused once to look out the window. She could still see the green grass and the valley beyond the frosted glass, but nighttime was quickly approaching. She laid her head against the couch cushion and continued to watch as the outside grew darker. After several minutes, she felt herself dozing off when Jughead suddenly reappeared in the room.

 

“The food is in the oven – hey now, don’t fall asleep on me!”

 

“Sorry. Come here, Jug.” Betty reached up and pulled him onto the coach.

 

“What are you reading, Betts?” Jughead noticed the book beside her below.

 

“I grabbed it from the shelf.”

 

Jughead flipped the book around, “Gulliver’s Travels. Well, it looks like you found something I’d love to read.”

 

Betty laid her head against his shoulder, “Can I take a nap for a minute? I normally don’t get tired this early, but I guess that walk really did me in.”

 

“Yes, I’ll wake you up when the food is ready.”

 

Betty shut her eyes and laid against his chest, the light hum of his breath against her ear helped her slip into a dream.

…

After dinner, they found themselves back on the couch cuddling. Jughead put a movie on as Betty made herself comfortable by laying against him.

 

“This is nice,” Betty said as she played with his hair, “I love it when it’s just the two of us.”

 

In the meantime, Jughead ran his hands down her abdomen and around her waist.

 

Betty sighed and grabbed his hands, “I’m ready, _I think_ , for a hot bath.”

 

Jughead looked down at her and said with a grin, “Do you want me to light that fire for you?”

 

“Would you? I’ll start the water.”

…

As Jughead lit several matches against the log in the bedroom, Betty filled up part of the bathtub and added some frothy liquid into the running stream from an opaque glass bottle in the corner of the tub. ‘This even smells expensive,’ she thought, ‘ _And sexy_.’ Then, she looked over at Jughead, who’s back was turned to her. As he began blowing on the side of the log in the hearth, a light spark began burning the wood and spreading beneath it.

 

In the meantime, Betty slipped out of her clothes and dipped her feet into the water. It was warm but not scalding, so she sat down, allowing the water to envelop her body all the way up to her neck. When she became used to the heat, she laid her back comfortably against the white basin.

 

“All done, Betts.” When Jughead turned around, their eyes met briefly as Betty spread her arms around the sides of the bathtub. He grinned and walked into the bathroom, washing the black soot from the fireplace off his hands. He dried them against a hand-towel, watching her eyes follow his movements. Then, he looked down and grinned as he heard her voice echoing behind him.

 

“Well, are you coming Jug?” Betty splashed him with water as he turned and took a step towards her, bubbles enveloping most of her upper half.

 

“I thought you wanted to take a bath by yourself,” Jughead smirked.

 

“No, I wanted a bubble bath - yes - but _with_ you.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jughead pulled his shirt off with a sure grin, tossing it onto the floor.

 

After the bath and some light kissing, Jughead helped Betty out of the tub. They never made it to the bed, though. Somehow in the middle of their moment, Jughead had enough foresight to see what was about to happen as their towels fell by the wayside; he pulled a sheet off the bed and spread it over the expanse of the floor in their bedroom, directly in front of the fireplace. He made love to her twice, the first time softly; the second time though – well, Jughead was just grateful that they had no neighbors around to overhear them.

…

They lay like that for the remainder of the evening, curled up against one another as Betty relaxed against Jughead’s chest, listening to his heartbeat; he held her close and began playing with her hair, twisting the strands against his fingers. Although they were both exhausted at this point, Jughead decided he wasn’t done with Betty. He flipped her onto her back and began kissing (and biting) her neck as she giggled beneath him.

 

“Jug.”

 

“What,” Jughead mumbled against her skin, kissing her neck once more, “Do you want me to stop?”

 

“No.” Betty’s eyelids fluttered shut at the feel of his lips on her skin.

 

“Good, because I love you, Betty Cooper. Now kiss me back.”

…

Eventually, they were both so sated that Jughead dialed down the kissing and reached for a book instead.

 

“I wondered when you were going to let me come up for air,” He said to Betty as he returned to their makeshift bed on the floor.

 

“Oh, don’t even.”

 

“What,” Jughead feigned innocence, “You were the one that attacked me when we got out of the tub, I was just trying to dry off my hair. When I put the towel down, you jumped me!”

 

“Hey, that’s not entirely true,” Betty slapped his shoulder playfully, “You were into it.”

 

“Yes, but I just wanted to let you take charge for once. That’ll change when we get back to New York. Enjoy it while it lasts, toots.” Jughead smirked and tucked one hand under his head.

 

“Excuse me?” Betty looked at him incredulously.

 

“You heard me, Betts.” Jughead cleared his throat and turned the pages of the book while simultaneously ignoring Betty’s exasperated breathing.

“You’re going to get it, Jug.”

 

Jughead put the book down, looked at her, and said rather sexily, “Yeah, and just what am I going to get exactly? Hmm?”

 

Without warning, Betty reached over and slapped his ass.

 

“ _Ouch_. I see, well, I think it’s high time I return the favor.”

 

“No,” Betty laughed as he hovered over her, brandishing a wild grin, “What are you doing?”

 

“Teaching you a lesson.”

 

“No! Betty cried aloud, “Jughead that tickles so much – _wait_ , what are you doing now?”

 

“Betty,” Jughead said with a smile.

 

“What?” She looked up at him, wondering what he was grinning about.

 

“I have something to tell you.”

 

“What?”

 

“You know that editorial position I applied for?”

 

“Yes. What about it?”

 

“I got it, babe. I got the position, benefits and all. I’ll start as soon as we graduate.”

 

“Oh Jug,” Betty wrapped her limbs in his, pulling her next to him, “That’s wonderful. Seriously, do you know how many graduates can’t even find decent jobs right now?”

 

“I know, I’m so grateful. There’s more, Betty. This means that you don’t have to worry about your hours getting cut at your job anymore.”

 

“But Jug, when you start working there, that’ll be your pay – _not mine_.”

 

“So,” Jughead said in earnest, “Betty, I’ll always take care of you, you know that. And now,” Jughead’s gaze went to the ceiling before he looked down at her again, “Well, now it feels like I actually can take proper care of you. I just wanted you to know that so you don’t have to be fearful of losing your job anymore.”

 

“Really?”

 

“ _Really_.”

 

Betty laughed in between stifling a cry, “I love you Jug, _so much_.”

 

“I love you too, Betts.” He said before kissing her forehead, “Now let’s get some actual sleep, yeah?”

 

“Okay.”

 

And for once, (it was the only time he’d done this since they began dating) Jughead was the first one to fall asleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment. It really means a lot to me. Thanks.


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